2011 - A New Ban in the Legislature Threatens to Limit Your Freedom

Spring of 2010 saw a renewed effort on the part of some misguided Louisiana legislators
to ban smoking in bars and casinos throughout our state. Despite support from the Senate
this attempt to impose unwarranted government control was thoroughly rejected in the
House Health and Welfare Committee, thereby defeating this issue for the second time in
as many years.

Unsurprising it is, then, that 2011 finds the Louisiana Senate at it again, pushing yet
another proposal by Senator Rob Marionneaux, Jr. (D-Livonia) to ban smoking in all
casinos and bars throughout the state. They even want to make it illegal to smoke on
an OUTSIDE RESTAURANT PATIO! This is the most egregious attempt yet to insert
government control where it does not belong. The deep-pocketed anti-smoking political
machine has been using its outsize influence to try to force everyone in line with their
smoke-free propaganda. The fact that this bill will have dire economic consequences for
many struggling businesses in an already weak economy is of no concern to them, they
simply do not care. They want to tell you how to live your life, as if you cannot make that
decision on your own and as an adult. Stand up against this government meddling in our
personal lives! This is NOT California, nor New York. This is Louisiana and we do NOT
need a nanny state telling us what to do. We can and will retain the right to decide this
issue for ourselves!

At Louisiana for Fair Tobacco Reform we believe that both businesses and adults should
be able to choose for themselves whether to allow tobacco use on their private property
or whether to use tobacco products at all. We believe that government has no right to
step in and take away this choice, because once they do what’s to stop them from further
stripping us of our freedoms? It is a slippery slope and we will not let this attempt to limit
our rights pass by unchallenged. Our supporters include both individuals and private
businesses, many which stand to be severely impacted should a broad smoking ban
become law. Cigar Factory New Orleans has recently joined up with our effort to fight
the anti-smoking lobby, and we encourage other like-minded businesses and individuals
to do the same.

To stand up against this needless government intrusion, take action against Senate Bill 133 today!