New Orleans Councilwoman Latoya Cantrell has made no secret of her desire to see The Big Easy implement a smoking ban; in late July she announced plans to begin a tour of bars and lounges that have gone smoke-free voluntarily in hopes of drumming up support to make all of them pull their ashtrays. In mid-August, she announced plans to have a smoking ban proposal presented to the council by November, and yesterday she delivered. Cantrell told NOLA.com that the proposal will likely head to the council’s Community Development Committee in December, with plans in the works to hold a number of public hearings so that residents, businesses and other interested parties can voice their opinions. Cantrell called the plan ambitious as it effectively bans smoking in all public places, with 22 distinct areas defined in the proposal, including bars, restaurants, casinos, parks, racetracks and more. It would also push smokers at least 25 feet away from the entrances or windows to those places. Violators would be subject to a first-time fine of $100 that can escalate to $500 for repeat offenses. According to a breakdown of the proposal by BestOfNewOrleans.com, smoking would still be allowed in tobacco businesses, though new businesses wouldn’t ...
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