Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe outlaws smoking in public places

Publication Date: 2015-05-06

• Publication:Indiannz.com

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has gone smoke-free.

The Smoke-Free Air Act outlaws smoking inside all public places, including restaurants, bars and tribal offices. The new law went into effect on May 1.

"We are so proud of our tribal council leaders for taking action to protect their people from second-hand smoke," Rae O'Leary, a nurse and respiratory therapist who was part of the Canli Coalition that pushed for the ban...

The tribe is also taking a proactive approach to an issue that's facing communities across the nation. The new law bans electronic cigarettes inside public places -- a federal study showed that middle and high school students are experimenting with them at increasingly higher rates.

"The Smoke-Free Air ordinance will save lives now and seven generations from now," O'Leary said...