To help make Indianapolis smoke free you can:

Call or email the your City-County Councillor and the four at-large Councillors in support of making all Indianapolis businesses smoke free. 

Call or email Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard in support of making the city completely smoke free for all workers.

Write a letter to the Indianapolis Star with your personal story on why you want Indy to be smoke free.

Tell your friends and family that all workers deserve to be protected from the harmful chemicals in secondhand smoke and that everyone has the right to a clean safe work environment.

Sign our Petition in support of Smoke Free Indy and making Indy smoke free.

Background Information 

On Monday, October 5, 2009, the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council introduced Proposal 371, which if passed would require all workplaces in Indianapolis to be smoke free minus cigar and hookah bars.  Smoke Free Indy supports this proposed ordinance for the city of Indianapolis. Please see our Smoke Free Indy Position Statement on the ordinance.

On April 14, 2010, the Community Affairs Committee of the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council tabled Proposal 371 until a clear consensus can be made on the issue.   Please contact your councillor about making Indianapolis a smoke free city.

Current Indianapolis Ordinance 

On March 1, 2006, Indianapolis enacted a law eliminating smoking in most workplaces.  Unfortunately, many people were left behind when the law took effect.  Employees of bowling alleys, bars, private membership clubs and a number of other workplaces do not have the same protections that those employees in offices, factories, government buildings and most factories do.  The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council has the power to adopt a law that would eliminate secondhand smoke from ALL workplaces in Marion County.

Public Opinion Poll 

On May 12, 2009, the Survey Research Center at IUPUI released a Public Opinion Poll in which 69.5% of Marion County residents support expanding the current Indianapolis ordinance to cover all workplaces including restaurants, bars and bowling alleys.

To Read More:
Public Attitudes Toward Smoking and Smoke-Free Ordinances –Marion County
Public Attitudes Toward Smoking and Smoke Free Ordinances –Marion County Executive Summary
Public Attitudes Toward Smoking and Smoke Free Ordinances –Marion County Charts

How YOU Can Help

1. Write or call your councillor and tell them you want Indianapolis to be completely smoke free in all workplaces.

2. Support smoke free workplaces with your business.

3. Tell others about the impact of secondhand smoke in the workplace - send a letter to the editor or post comments online.

4. Click here to sign-up to be a member of our campaign and receive Smoke Free Indy updates.

The Facts

Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in Indiana. The 2006 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke concluded that there is “no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.” The report states that “secondhand smoke contains many chemicals that can quickly irritate and damage the lining of the airways. Even brief exposure can result in upper airway changes in healthy persons and can lead to more frequent asthma attacks in children who already have asthma.” For more information about the health effects of secondhand smoke, visit:
Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke
Protecting Hoosiers from Secondhand Smoke
Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, Secondhand Smoke Facts

National Overview

Currently 24 States and 331 municipalities have enacted smoke free workplace laws that cover bars, leaving Indiana and Indianapolis behind.  To see which states and municipalities are smoke free click here.

Business/Economic/Health Impact

Many studies have shown that smoke free workplace laws do not have a negative economic impact on businesses.  Some of these studies are:

 The Economic Impact of the Indianapolis Smoke-Free Air Ordinance on Public Eating and Drinking Places
 The Economic Impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws
 The State of Smoke-Free New York City: A One Year Review
For a full list of economic impact research click here.

Smoke free air laws have also been shown to improve air quality in businesses that go smoke free.
 Indianapolis Air Monitoring Study 2006
 How Smoke-Free Laws Improve Air Quality: A Global Study of Irish Pubs
For a full list on indoor air quality studies click here.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers adopted a position statement that stated “No other engineering approaches, including current and advanced dilution ventilation or air cleaning technologies, have been demonstrated or should be relied upon to control health risks of ETS (secondhand smoke) exposure in spaces where smoking occurs.” ”At present, the only means of effectively eliminating health risk associated with indoor exposure is to ban smoking activity.” To read the full statement click here.

Hoosier Fundamentals of Smoke Free Air

A number of statewide organizations have adopted recommended guiding principles for developing and implementing effective smoke free policies that help achieve the goal of saving people’s lives from the disease and death caused by secondhand smoke. These guidelines have been excerpted and adapted from a publication called “Fundamentals of Smoke Free Workplace Laws,” a smoke free air policy document that was collaboratively formulated by tobacco control partners at the national level. The principles are considered “best policy practice” for smoke free air policies and are based on the experiences and lessons learned from tobacco control advocates throughout the country over several decades.
Fundamentals of Smoke Free Air Policy Development for Hoosier Communities

“Take Note” - A Coalition for Hospitality and Entertainment Workers Who Want Smoke Free Venues

Entertainers, DJs, bartenders and wait staff who earn their living in smoke-filled establishments need to take a stand toward promoting smoke-free work environments. Most nightclubs, bars, and entertainment venues are not smoke-free and the results can be deadly. Whether you are a patron or an employee, you will find helpful information about how you can make a difference in the fight for healthier smoke-free dining and entertainment venues at www.takenote.tv.  

Local Smoke Free Air Laws

Indianapolis

History

City-County Councillors Bowes, Mansfield, Talley and Abdullah championed the passage of a smoke free air law for the city of Indianapolis. To craft a smoke free law for the city these Councillors held a series of public forums and discussion groups during the spring of 2005. On May 23, 2005 the City-County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County passed Chapter 616, a partial smoke free air law. Chapter 616 requires most public places to be completely smoke free with the exception of:

• bars that do not allow anyone under 18 into the establishment,
• bowling alleys,
• private clubs,
• tobacco bars,
• tobacco stores,
• 20 percent of rentable hotel rooms,
• family run businesses in which only family members are present and the public does not enter,
• and private residences unless used as a day care.

This passage marked a change for the city, which previously did not have a smoke free air law that covered most public places in the city. On March 1, 2006, Chapter 616 went into effect for the city of Indianapolis. The City-County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County chose to not include the excluded cities in the county, Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport or Speedway because they are not a part of the Uni-Gov system within the city of Indianapolis.

Implementation Materials

Virginia A. Caine, M.D., Director, Marion County Health Department, Letter to Businesses
Indianapolis’ Smoke Free Air Law, Chapter 616
Chapter 616, Ordinance Summary
Preparing Your Business to go Smoke Free
Answers to the Public’s Questions
Frequently Asked Questions From Businesses
Financial Costs of Smoking
Responding to Customers
Warning and No Smoking Window Clings

Evaluation

A poll released in November 2006 shows that 78% of Marion County adults support our smoke free air law that went into effect March 1, 2006. Additionally, about three-fourths of respondents reported that Indianapolis is a healthier place to work and live after the passage of the law. And, 80% of people indicated that they dine out more often or have not changed their dining patterns since the law was implemented.
Marion County Smoke Free Ordinance Public Opinion Poll 2006
Marion County Smoke Free Ordinance Public Opinion Poll 2006, Executive Summary
Smoke Free Indy One-Year Evaluation Executive Summary
 Smoke Free Indy One-Year Review of the Indianapolis Smoke Free Workplace Law

Who’s My City-County Councillor?

The Indianapolis City-County Council is composed of 29 council members, representing 25 districts and 4 At-Large spots. You can find out who your councillor is by visiting the Government Profile Page of www.indy.gov.

Lawrence

In June 2006, the City of Lawrence passed a ordinance 3-3-11-1 that was nearly identical to the Indianapolis ordinance. The nine-member council unanimously approved the ordinance. It exempts bars, retail tobacco stores, and bowling alleys. The ordinance went into effect on July 1, 2006.

Speedway

The Speedway Town Council passed an ordinance very similar to that of Indianapolis after it was introduced April 10, 2006.  Ordinance 1052 passed with some exemptions including bars and bowling alley. It became effective, September 1, 2006.  Members of the Speedway Town Council include Jeff Hartman, Bill Suffel, Eileen Fisher, Lucinda Hillmer, and Gary Raikes.