New Orleans Smoking Ban Prompts Debate In Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Less than a week after New Orleans passed a law to ban smoking in bars and casinos, some Baton Rouge medical professionals and local leaders are pushing the capital city to strike while the iron's still hot.

On Tuesday, Mayor-President Kip Holden and leaders from area hospitals announced a Tobacco-Free Awareness campaign they dubbed "Breathe Free Baton Rouge." They also announced that all major Baton Rouge hospitals and medical centers have committed to smoke and tobacco-free campuses.

But while Holden applauded the medical campuses for leading the way to create smoke-free environments, he told The Advocate (http://bit.ly/1CylPu0 ) he wasn't prepared to say whether he would support a smoke ban.

The New Orleans smoking ban has prompted some other cities, such as Lafayette, to also consider banning smoking in bars.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com