In 2015, New Orleans joined other leading cities around the country by going smoke-free — taking a huge step towards reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and decreasing smoking rates. The top two causes of mortality in our community — cardiovascular disease and cancer — have strong associations with tobacco use, so going smoke-free was truly a matter of life and death for New Orleanians.
For more than eight years, the ordinance has dramatically reduced exposure to dangerous secondhand smoke for patrons, entertainers and business employees, preventing an untold number of respiratory conditions, heart disease, stroke and other tobacco-related illnesses. Musicians and hospitality workers — the lifeblood of our cultural economy — do not have to choose making a living over staying healthy, as they are no longer repeatedly exposed to harmful toxins and carcinogens while at work.
Research shows that comprehensive smoke-free policies banning smoking in ALL indoor spaces promote quitting among smokers and discourage youth from initiating this habit. In the years since the NOLA Smoke Free Air Act passed, the adult smoking rate in Orleans Parish has dropped by more than 20%.
Louisiana’s other major cities — Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Alexandria and Monroe among them — have all taken the lifesaving step to enact comprehensive tobacco-free policies. But successful indoor smoke-free policies now face new challenges at the hands of special interests who value profits over lives. In Shreveport, leaders recently rolled back successful workplace regulations under the guise of stimulating revenue, despite significant evidence nationwide indicating smoke-free policies are either neutral or increase proceeds after adoption. In a state with high rates of preventable deaths linked to tobacco use, promoting questionable economic impact over human lives simply makes no sense.
In 2022, the city of New Orleans was recognized by the national nonprofit City Health with a gold medal for its strong smoke-free indoor air ordinance, which propelled New Orleans to an overall silver medal on the full rankings. This is a win for our citizens, workers and many visitors who enjoy New Orleans and all of its world-class venues, and the same protections should be extended to Louisianians everywhere.
While many challenges remain to improve health overall in our community, staying tobacco-free is a clear success that will continue to pay dividends for generations.
LaToya Cantrell is mayor of New Orleans. Jennifer Avegno is director of the New Orleans Health Department.