On May 26, 2026, the Knoxville City Council voted 6-3 in favor of passing a comprehensive smokefree ordinance to eliminate indoor smoking in most 21+ establishments.
This incredible victory for public health was a result of years of advocacy and education from the Smokefree Knoxville coalition. Comprised of local public health organizations, businesses, musicians, and hospitality workers, Smokefree Knoxville made the case that ALL Knoxvillians deserve the right to work in a smokefree environment, and the City Council agreed. Because of this ordinance, lives will be saved, businesses will gain more customers, and every Knoxvillian will go to work knowing that they don’t have to choose between their health and paycheck. The ordinance goes into effect January 1st 2027.
It’s time to protect ALL of Knoxville’s workplaces.
Since the Nonsmoker’s Protection Act passed in 2007, a vast majority of Tennesseans enjoy the protection and guarantee of a smoke-free workplace. Unfortunately, loopholes in that original statewide law have left our hospitality workers and musicians behind, and we think it’s long past time for that to change.
GOOD FOR HEALTH + GOOD FOR BUSINESS
“No one stopped coming here because we went non-smoking…We gained more customers, and a lot of our staff quit smoking once we we made the change.”
— Todd Sherwood, Owner of The 5 Spot
WHAT KNOXVILLE ARTISTS ARE SAYING
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