“Celebrating 15 Years of Smoke-Free Air for Savannahians: The Ordinance That Protected Every Resident, Every Worker, Every Visitor — Because Clean Air Is Not Negotiable.”

WHEREAS, the City of Savannah Smoke Free Air Ordinance, a landmark public health
policy, was passed in 2010 and went into effect on January 1, 2011, prohibiting smoking,
including the use of e-cigarettes, in all enclosed public places and workplaces, including
restaurants and bars; and

WHEREAS, this initiative was conceived by then Mayor Otis Johnson, Ph.D., who founded
Healthy Savannah in 2007 after experiencing a personal health crisis, and was championed
through the BreathEasy Savannah campaign led by Healthy Savannah in partnership with
community advocates, healthcare professionals, and business leaders; and

WHEREAS, the passage of this ordinance made Savannah the first municipality in Georgia
to enact a comprehensive smoke-free air policy, closing loopholes in the state law and
establishing a model for the region; and

WHEREAS, this ordinance has had a bold, measurable and lasting impact on public health
in Chatham County, with statistics showing a nearly 50% decline in deaths due to
obstructive heart disease, from approximately 100 per 100,000 residents in 2013 to 58 per
100,000 in 2024; and

WHEREAS, data from the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition and the Georgia Department
of Public Health further demonstrate meaningful improvements, including a steady decline
in emergency room visit rates due to asthma and a consistent decrease in the percentage
of mothers who smoked during pregnancy since 2012; and

WHEREAS, the success of Savannah’s ordinance helped pave the way for broader smoke-
free policies throughout the region and state, including in Chatham County, the Savannah-
Chatham County Public School System, Memorial Health, all Georgia universities, and the. City of Pooler; and

WHEREAS, Healthy Savannah, a public-private coalition of over 200 partner organizations,
continues to lead efforts to make the healthy choice the easy choice for all citizens,
especially those in underserved communities, and has been recognized with the CDC’s
Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Lark Galloway-Gilliam Award for
Advancing Health Equity;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, that the City of Savannah and Healthy Savannah
do hereby celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Smoke Free Air Ordinance, honoring the
visionary leadership of Mayor Otis Johnson, the dedicated advocates and partners who made it possible, and the lasting legacy of improved health and well-being for all residents,
workers, and visitors.

“Celebrating 15 Years of Smoke-Free Air for Savannahians: The Ordinance That Protected Every Resident, Every Worker, Every Visitor — Because Clean Air Is Not Negotiable.”

Mayor Johnson's proclamation:

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“Celebrating 15 Years of Smoke-Free Air for Savannahians: The Ordinance That Protected Every Resident, Every Worker, Every Visitor — Because Clean Air Is Not Negotiable.”

Mayor Johnson's proclamation:

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