Five-Year Anniversary

Yesterday was an important anniversary for Indianapolis, one not really noticed by anyone but the Smoke Free Indy coalition, it was the five-year anniversary of Indianapolis' smokefree air law. On March 1, 2006, Indianapolis implemented its smokefree air law in restaurants and businesses. While at the time this was an important victory for Indianapolis and public health, five years has now lapsed and the victory seems pretty hollow, especially as countless cities and states have passed stronger policies around the nation.

It does not look like Indianapolis will pass a smoke free air law anytime soon with the lack of full support in the Council and Mayor's office. At this time our best hope is that the state can pass a strong smokefree air law this session, otherwise we may have to wait until 2012 after the election before anything can pass in Indianapolis. But let our smokefree air law serve as an example to the state legislature that if a weak law passes now it could take at least five years for the loopholes to be fixed.