The City of Shreveport passed an ordinance that went into effect on August 1, 2021, making it one of more than 1,100 cities across the United States to do so. It’s the 30th municipality in Louisiana to pass such laws.
Here’s what you need to know.
Smoking is no longer allowed in these indoor areas:
- Bars
- Casinos and other gambling facilities
- Restaurants
- Hotels and Motels
- Workplaces
- Schools (preschool to post-secondary)
- Private Clubs
- Common areas of multi-unit housing, including apartment complexes and condos
- Buildings and vehicles owned, leased, occupied, or operated by the City or State
- Prisons and other correctional facilities
- Most other public places (enclosed by two or more walls/barriers), including: hospitals, nursing homes, public buses and street cars, retail stores, and retail service businesses
- Convention facilities during Mardi Gras Balls
There are some exceptions to indoor areas. These include:
- Private homes and vehicles
- Private and semi-private rooms in nursing homes and other long-care facilities, when requested by all occupants in writing
- Tobacco businesses
- Electronic smoking device businesses (vape shops)
- Cigar bars
- Hookah bars (However, smoking is limited to hookahs)
Smoking is no longer allowed in these outdoor areas:
- Workplaces, such as constructions sites
- Sports arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, and recreational areas with playground equipments, except during concerts, fairs, farmers markets, festivals, and parades
- In bleachers and grandstands for use by spectators at sporting events
- State law: Smoking prohibited within 200 feet of entrance, exits, and outdoor areas of elementary and secondary schools
There are some exemptions to outdoor areas. These include:
- Designated smoking and vaping sections of outdoor seating, serving areas, balconies, and courtyards of bars, restaurants, casinos, facilities that operate slot machines, pari-mutual wagering facilities, and off-track wagering facilities, such as the Fair Grounds
- All other outdoor locations
Violations may be cited by any law enforcement officer, the issuance of a citation and summons to appear before a court of proper jurisdiction.
Violations can include fines from $25 to $500 depending on type of violation and number of violation occurrences throughout the year.
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