Video: A New Ordinance in Noxubee County Will Change Where Smokers Can Light Up in the County

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A new ordinance in Noxubee County will change where smokers can light up in the county.

However, some people aren’t happy about the decision, and it may not be final.

It’s called the Noxubee County, Mississippi Smoke Free Air Ordinance of 2017.

Now, some supervisors say they want to revisit the issue.

Lighting up in Noxubee County could be more difficult if the new ordinance goes through.

Right now, it’s scheduled to begin June 25th.

However, Noxubee County District 5 Supervisor Bruce Brooks says he didn’t realize what he voted for when the smoke free ordinance passed back in May.

“We did not have the exact ordinance and the way it was explained to us, it was very vague, and so then the attorney is actually the one that drew it up, but the board never saw the final copy.”

Brooks thought the ordinance banned smoking at county owned buildings, like the hospital and nursing home, not across the entire county.

“Now that we have gotten the in-depths of the ordinance, it has really shook a lot of my constituents up. I’ve been getting several calls in not understanding why did we pass something of this magnitude.”

Cedric Malone is one of those people wanting the ordinance extinguished.

He’s a smoker and has many clients who smoke when they come to get their hair cut at The Chop Shop in Brooksville.

The new no smoke law would put an end to that.

“I understand for public businesses like hospitals, schools, governmental businesses or properties, courthouses, but as for the general public, I don’t agree with it.”

He says he doesn’t see how the ban would help protect people or the environment, which is mentioned in the ordinance.

“The ozone is affected anyway. You’ve got the truckers passing. You’ve got gas all in the air. You’ve got hog farms, so I don’t think just smoking is going to do something about it.”

Malone says he’s glad supervisors are going to take another look at the 100% smoke free law.

“We may tweak it a little bit and make it what we feel like is fair to all constituents and we either will maybe cancel it for the moment and then see that we can draw up something that’s going to be more acceptable to the people,” says Brooks.

If supervisors vote to keep the ordinance as is, Noxubee County would be the first in the state to go 100% smoke free.

This ordinance also bans e-cigs from being used in the county.