Smoking Ban Rises Debates in New Orleans

In New Orleans there was drafted a smoking ban which raised hot debates. According to proposal, smoking should be prohibited in Storyland and City Putt. However, park commissioners have different opinions on that — some want a 100% ban, and some do not want a ban at all. The proposal came from Susan Hess, the

Is Smoking Ban Needed in New Orleans?

In her effort to snuff out smoking at bars and casinos in New Orleans, Cantrell has stressed the need to protect the health of workers and of the musicians who play at such venues.

She notes that Louisiana ranks among the states with the highest number of residents dying annually of cancer. She also disputes arguments made by some bar owners that they’ll lose business because of the ban, noting that in New Orleans customers can pour a drink into a go-cup before stepping outside for a cigarette.

But the prospect of having people loitering outside late at night to smoke and perhaps drink worries owners of some bars tucked away in residential neighborhoods.

“It’s the city that’s putting this rule in place, and they’re putting more of these quality-of-life issues on the table without a real good solution to the problems that are going to arise out of them,” said Bill Walker, who has co-owned the Lost Love Lounge in the Marigny since 2010. Besides this he is a smoker of Davidoff Gold cigarettes.

Walker is in the awkward position of also serving as the head of One Marigny, a neighborhood association.

Cantrell told The New Orleans Advocate last week that she has a solution for that, too: She plans to revive discussion on New Orleans’ seemingly dormant noise ordinance once work on the smoking ban is finished.

“It’s kind of like having to vet it again with the new members of the council,” she said about the proposed noise ordinance, which drew widespread criticism and prompted a parade of musicians to storm the council chamber a year ago to voice their disapproval. “But I think a lot of work went into that, and that’s why I feel like we’ve got to pick it back up, because of the work, and we’ve got to finish the job on that.”

In the meantime, a five-member City Council committee last week moved forward with the smoking ban after a nearly three-hour meeting at which more than 150 people sought a chance to speak on the topic.

The measure appears to have the backing of a majority of council members, Cantrell said. Another public meeting on the proposal is slated for 5 p.m. Wednesday in the council chamber, and the council seems likely to vote on the issue Jan. 22.

New Orleans' smoking ban debate to spark up in council committee

The latest drive to permanently put out all cigarettes in bars, casinos, bus stops, parks and prisons in New Orleans heads to the City Council this week for a public debate two months in the offing.

Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell announced her plans to let people weigh in on the most comprehensive ban against the unhealthy habit yet introduced in this traditionally permissive city. The council's Community Development Committee is scheduled to assemble at 10 a.m. Wednesday (Jan. 7).

Cantrell, who co-authored the proposed ban with Councilwoman Susan Guidry and introduced it to the council in November, said in a statement that the new law "would go a long way in terms of protecting our workers and improving public health."

But she left open the door for possible changes, saying that airing the proposal in public would help shape it into "the best possible legislation."

The so-called "smoke-free ordinance" has already received some blow-back. The state police in December announced that Louisiana stood to lose up to $104 million in public revenue every year generated by Harrah's Casino, the Fair Grounds race track and video-poker halls in New Orleans should the ban be implemented.

As it stands now, the 25-page proposed ordinance would prohibit any type of smoking, including tobacco, marijuana and electronic smoking devices, in public spaces, businesses, private clubs, bars, prisons, schools, parking garages, stadiums, parks and shelters for bus and streetcar passengers. It would also keep smokers 25 feet away from buildings where smoking is banned and 200 feet away from any school.

Off the hook would be private residences, specially designated hotel rooms, tobacco shops, designated rooms in assisted living facilities and any business that manufactures, imports, distributes or processes tobacco products.

Smoker Pit opposes the change as he uses Parliament cigarettes http://www.cigarettesplace.net/parliament-cigarettes for 10 years and it would be hard for him to quit.

University of New Orleans Goes Smoke-Free

Soon colleges and universities in Louisiana will become smoke-free due to adoption of anti-smoking law in 2013 which imposes post-secondary institutions to do this. However, some universities not just prohibit smoking cigarettes on their campus but ban use of all kinds of tobacco. Experts say that due to this approach New Orleans could siginificantly reduce