In 2005, the Georgia legislature handed an exemption-riddled smokefree regulation, excluding many workplaces and hospitality venues all through the state from life-saving smokefree protections. The regulation, with all of its flaws, did one good factor – it established that native municipalities had the correct to move their very own, stronger smokefree legal guidelines.
Only one yr later, Metropolis of Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson, PhD suffered a coronary heart assault, prompting him to focus his private and civic consideration on more healthy existence and environments. “I used to be given a second probability at life,” stated Johnson. “So, I devoted myself to doing what I may to advertise wholesome dwelling and to forestall a whole lot of preventable illnesses within the Savannah neighborhood.”
In 2007, Mayor Johnson based Wholesome Savannah – an initiative designed to advertise well being and wellness for the Metropolis of Savannah. Members of the coalition attended ANR’s flagship coaching – Clearing the Air® Institute – and returned to Savannah impressed and ready to advocate for complete smokefree protections within the metropolis.
ANR, together with different public well being companions teamed up with Wholesome Savannah to kind the Breatheasy Savannah Coalition in an effort to move Georgia’s first complete smokefree ordinance.
Opposition ways included disinformation claiming that bars would lose enterprise, tourism would lower, and ideas that Savannah’s LGBT inhabitants would face elevated threats if required to step exterior to mild up.
As a part of its consciousness marketing campaign, the coalition hosted smokefree bar nights to reassure bar homeowners and staff that smokefree bars and eating places could be widespread and good for enterprise.
City corridor conferences featured overwhelming help for the ordinance, together with testimonials from asthmatics, most cancers survivors, and native people who had misplaced somebody to power illness introduced on by secondhand smoke.
In 2010, metropolis leaders lastly took a daring and historic step to guard the well being of staff, residents, and guests by passing the Savannah Smoke-free Air Act of 2010. In doing so, Savannah grew to become the primary municipality in Georgia to enact a complete smokefree ordinance following the passage of the exemption-riddled Georgia Smokefree Air Act of 2005. The Savannah ordinance closed a number of loopholes by eliminating publicity to poisonous secondhand smoke in workplaces, eating places, bars, and public areas throughout the town.
On the time, the choice represented greater than a neighborhood coverage change—it marked the start of a brand new period for public well being advocacy in Georgia. Savannah demonstrated that communities may transcend the minimal protections supplied by state regulation and undertake stronger, evidence-based insurance policies that save lives. Quickly afterward, Chatham County adopted swimsuit with a complete ordinance to enhance Savannah’s daring transfer — securing smokefree protections for the whole area.
Indoor air high quality testing carried out earlier than and after ordinance implementation confirmed a 94% enchancment in air high quality in Savannah and Chatham County bars.
Financial impression research following the ordinance demonstrated that the smokefree coverage had a impartial impression on tax income – offering that smokefree legal guidelines have been good for well being and good for enterprise.
2026 marks the 15-year anniversary of the favored and confirmed Savannah Smoke-free Air Act. Regardless of its success, the ordinance is commonly challenged with threats from pro-smoking allies together with hookah and cigar proponents with a need to renormalize smoking beneath the smokescreen of tradition and economic system. ANR continues to help coalition efforts with greatest practices, classes discovered, and fierce advocacy help to guard Savannah’s sturdy smokefree ordinance in opposition to rising threats from pro-smoking trade allies.
Breatheasy Savannah continues to encourage public well being progress all through Georgia—and its legacy serves as a reminder that sturdy native motion can create more healthy futures for generations to come back.
