Shreveport Comprehensive Smoke-Free Ordinance Goes Into Effect August 1
(July 30, 2021) – The Shreveport Smoke-free Air Act, a smoke-free ordinance designed to protect the health of the City’s 193,785 residents, will go into effect for bars and gaming facilities on Sunday, August 1, 2021. Shreveport is the 30th municipality in Louisiana to implement a smoke-free ordinance. The implementation of this ordinance means that 30 percent of Louisiana’s total population is being protected from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
The ordinance was originally passed in July 2020 to be implemented in August 2020, but implementation was later delayed until August 2021. In July 2021, an amendment was introduced to exclude gaming facilities from the ordinance. The amendment was ultimately tabled and the Smoke-free Air Act will include both bars and gaming facilities when it goes into effect over the weekend.
“The amount of support this ordinance received from community members shows that protecting bar and gaming service industry professionals, our community, and visitors from the dangers of secondhand smoke is the right step for Shreveport,” said Feamula Bradley, regional manager for the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL). “Putting our community’s health first, especially as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, means a safer and more welcoming environment for everyone that will ultimately save lives.”
“We applaud the City of Shreveport on this smoke-free effort, as it sets a worthy precedent for all communities to recognize and follow,” said Earl Benjamin-Robinson, director of TFL. “We look forward to working with these organizations on a smooth implementation of the smoke-free ordinance and appreciate the support we have received from the community and the City Council.”
TFL is providing materials to assist with the implementation of the Shreveport Smoke-free Air Act. These materials include a brochure that details what the new ordinance does and does not do, best practices, steps for implementation, and a “No Smoking” sign to hang in establishments. Hard copies of these materials have been mailed to local businesses and digital versions are available at SmokefreeShreveport.org.
For more information on the growing movement to protect all Louisiana employees from secondhand smoke, visit www.HealthierAirForAll.org.
Individuals interested in quitting tobacco products can visit www.QuitWithUsLa.org or call 1-800-Quit-Now.