Ad Campaign About New Smokers Law

Beginning October 1, Tennesseans will be faced with the official launch of the Non-Smokers Protection Act, a new law that prohibits smoking in all enclosed places in Tennessee with few exceptions.

The Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) will run a newspaper advertising campaign on October 1st across Tennessee thanking Governor Bredesen and those in the General Assembly who voted for the Non-Smokers Protection Act for their leadership and determination to protect Tennesseans from the health hazards from secondhand smoke.

"Tennesseans are thrilled to be able to earn a living and go out to restaurants without putting their health at risk," said Shelby Logsdon, executive director of the Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee. "We applaud Gov. Bredesen and the General Assembly for their leadership in reducing the dangers of secondhand smoke. We urge them to continue their good work so that every Tennessean has the right to breathe clean air."

The ad campaign is sponsored by the Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Tennessee Medical Association, Tennessee Public Health Association, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. It is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To view the ad, go to www.smokefreetn.org.

While the law protects workers in most workplaces, including restaurants, it does exclude bars with limited access to persons 21 and older at all times, private clubs and businesses with three or fewer employees.