Local governments may have more control in deciding smoking regulations in restaurants and bars if a bill is passed that would transfer the power of allowing smoking from the state to local ordinances.
Executive Director of the American Lung Association of Louisiana Tommy Lotz said the current state law, enacted in 1993, said the state sets the smoking laws, and local governments cannot raise or lower smoking restrictions. Lotz said the law was enacted because of tobacco lobbyists urging the state to have greater control of smoking regulation.
“They’re in it for the money,” Lotz said.
Tuesday the new bill passed full Senate with a 31-5 vote and is waiting to pass the House. It would allow local governments, instead of the state government, to determine smoking regulations.
Lotz said while the law itself has little to do with a full statewide ban on smoking, he thinks it is a start to ultimately banning smoking in restaurants and bars.
Melanie Ressel, a manager at Chili’s on Constitution Avenue, said if the bill passes, business will slow down. Ressel said she once worked in Salina, Kan., where a similar anti-smoking law passed and smoking customers chose to frequent other places where smoking was allowed.
Currently three states have a full, statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and bars — California, New York and Delaware. Lotz said the states began the transition to being smoke-free with similar laws that give more power to local ordinances.
Lotz said banning smoking in eating and drinking establishments is a way to protect workers from secondhand smoke. He said the first major case of secondhand smoke harming a server was when a nonsmoking New York bartender was diagnosed with lung cancer. She sued the bar and won the case.
According to the American Lung Association, “Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in nonsmokers each year.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, secondhand smoke is classified as a known cause of cancer.
Nicole Burke, a bartender at Ivar’s Sports Bar and Grill, said while she likes the idea of going to a bar to smoke, she does not like working in a bar full of smoke.
Ressel said the wait staff at Chili’s won’t care if smoking in the restaurant is banned, as employees have a choice to work in the smoking section or not.
Biological sciences senior Travis Ball said he didn’t like the idea of barring smoking in restaurants.
“Simply because I’m a smoker,” he said.
General studies senior Tammara Savoy said even though she doesn’t smoke, smokers should have the freedom to smoke in restaurants and bars.
Savoy also said since cigarette smoke always is around anyway, the law won’t help prevent nonsmokers from inhaling the smoke.