By JERRY LePRE-Managing Editor

LULING – The two Louisiana State Senators for the River Parishes, along with 29 other Senators, voted to restore local communities’ right to protect against secondhand smoke. By a margin of 31-5, the Louisiana State Senate passed SB901, which ended the ten year mandate that prohibited local governments from passing secondhand smoke protection laws.

Both senators from the River Parishes, Joel T. Chaisson, II and Louis Lambert, voted in favor of the bill.

“This vote is a win for the people of Louisiana. Ten years ago our right to develop protections against secondhand smoke was taken away. The Senate is now saying that communities should play a role in finding solutions to the problem of this airborne killer,” says AI Hannah, Director of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Louisiana.

Prior to the passage, 26 local governments representing over 2 million Louisiana residents passed resolutions to tell the Legislature that local communities want this right restored. Similar legislation has been passed in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

According to the American Cancer Society, Louisiana has the highest cancer death rate in America. In St. John Parish, the society projects 206 people will be diagnosed with cancer and 88 people will die from cancer this year.

“I think the people of Louisiana deserve the right to choose to breathe clean air in public places,” Terri Harries, an American Cancer Society volunteer from Luling said.

“People elect representatives to enact laws that are in the best interest of their health and well-being,” Chaisson said, and added, “This law enables local governments to do that.”

Secondhand smoke, like asbestos and radioactive radon gas, is considered a Class A carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The National Institutes of Health research shows that secondhand smoke exposure kills 53,000 Americans every year. The report also indicates that children are particularly vulnerable to secondhand smoke since it can cause bronchitis, pneumonia, and triggers asthma attacks.

According to their website, the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Louisiana is “a network of non-profit, state and public health organizations with a shared vision to eliminate the burden of tobacco on Louisiana families and the state economy.” Members include the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Medical Association, and the Louisiana Public Health Institute.