Smoking is banned at most casinos in Louisiana. But you can still smoke at the casinos in Shreveport and Bossier City. A ban on smoking at the Shreveport casinos is set to take effect on August 1st. But there is a move afoot to change that.

Council Chairman James Flurry has proposed an amendment to the ordinance to exempt the casinos. There is concern that this change would put the two Shreveport casinos, El Dorado and Sam's Town at a disadvantage to the Bossier casinos which still allow smoking. KEEL News spoke with Flurry this morning and he told us this is going to be a tie vote. He told us he would not be surprised if Councilman Jerry Bowman did not vote on this issue because he works at Ochsner. But we also caught up with Bowman who tells KEEL News he does plan to vote on this issue unless the city attorney tells him he has a conflict because of his job. Bowman says he will vote to exempt the casinos from the smoking ban. Flurry also told KEEL he will vote to lift the ban because there is concern it will cost jobs.

Ashley Hebert with the American Heart Association says she is continuing to press Shreveport Council members to continue with implementation of the smoking ban.

Hebert says smoking is banned at the casinos in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Councilwoman LeVette Fuller previously said:

Whether you’re a teacher, bartender, or card dealer, no employee in Shreveport should have to be exposed to deadly secondhand smoke every second of their work shift.

Hebert says smoking and second hand smoke is deadly and it's time we put the health and welfare of our citizens ahead of profit and money.