LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 30, 2023) 鈥 The city of Lexington celebrated the 20th anniversary of its historic smoke-free ordinance today in a ceremony at the Lexington-Fayette Government Center.
鈥淟exington鈥檚 smoke-free law has had an enormous impact on the health of Lexington citizens. In terms of public health, it is one of the most important, if not the most important, ordinance we have passed in the last 20 years,鈥 Mayor Linda Gorton said. 鈥淚t has saved countless lives. I am proud to have left a public health legacy for all workers and residents.鈥
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted 11-3 to enact the first smoke-free ordinance in Kentucky on July 1, 2003. At the time, there were no smoke-free laws anywhere in the Midwest or Southern region of the U.S.
Lexington鈥檚 smoke-free law prohibits smoking and e-cigarette or vape use inside workplaces and indoor public places. As a result, Lexington became a public health leader in much of the country.
The law was strengthened in 2014 when e-cigarettes, addictive and popular among youth, were added.
After Lexington鈥檚 smoke-free law took effect there was a reduction in heart attacks and emergency department visits for asthma, and the smoking rate in Fayette County declined nearly 32%, resulting in 16,500 fewer smokers for an estimated annual health care cost savings of $21 million.
In 2009, Lexington鈥檚 smoke-free law paved the way for the University of Kentucky to adopt a tobacco-free campus to protect the health of students, employees and visitors.
鈥淥ne of my proudest accomplishments as president was when we became the first tobacco-free major university in the U.S.,鈥 said Lee T. Todd Jr., former UK president.
Since the tobacco-free campus policy went into effect, over 1,000 students and employees have taken part in UK鈥檚 tobacco treatment services.
In the 20 years since Lexington鈥檚 smoke-free law passed, 57 additional Kentucky municipalities have passed smoke-free laws, protecting 38% of Kentuckians.
鈥淥ur research reveals that smoke-free laws save lives in many ways. Kentucky communities with strong smoke-free laws have fewer new cases of lung cancer, fewer hospitalizations for emphysema, fewer preterm births, and fewer youth who use tobacco,鈥 said Ellen J. Hahn, professor and director of BREATHE at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing.
BREATHE is a multi-disciplinary research, outreach, and practice collaborative of the UK College of Nursing. BREATHE鈥檚 vision is that all people will have access to clean air and live in healthy environments. BREATHE鈥檚 mission is to promote lung health and healthy environments with at-risk populations to achieve through research, community outreach and empowerment, advocacy and policy development, and access to health services.
Lexington鈥檚 smoke-free law was challenged by a lawsuit shortly after enactment. The Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the ordinance in 2004. The court stated that cities and counties not only have the right to pass a smoke-free ordinance, but it is also their manifest duty to promote and safeguard public health.
鈥淭he Supreme Court鈥檚 opinion is one of the landmark cases on home rule and the most important case in local control history,鈥 said J.D. Chaney, executive director of the Kentucky League of Cities. 鈥淚t was an honor to participate and help shape the final opinion through League participation.鈥
As the state鈥檚 flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders 鈥 placing students at the heart of everything we do 鈥 and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people 鈥 visionaries, disruptors and pioneers 鈥 who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the 鈥淏est Employers for New Grads鈥 and named a 鈥淒iversity Champion鈥 by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.
