By Jonathan Kaminsky NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – The New Orleans City Council voted on Thursday to ban smoking in the city’s bars, a move supported by several prominent local musicians who said the issue was for them a matter of workplace health. Most large U.S. cities already have such restrictions in place, anti-smoking advocates said, though smoking is still permitted in bars in cities including Las Vegas, Atlanta and Miami, and across much of the southeastern United States. The measure initially proposed in New Orleans included a ban on smoking in many outdoor areas, including parks and at city-sponsored festivals, but council members removed those restrictions before their unanimous vote to bar people from lighting up in bars and casinos. The measure, which has the support of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, is expected to take effect in April.

Source: Yahoo Music
Link: Heeding musicians, New Orleans moves to ban smoking in bars