COOKEVILLE, TN – Since the new Non-Smoker Protection Act recently became effective in Cookeville, Tenn., those affected by the new law are still interpreting what that means for their workplaces, according to the Web site http://www.herald-citizen.com. At Cookeville City Hall, the city council discussed the new law’s application to those working there.

The new law prohibits smoking in places of employment and includes work areas, private offices, employee lounges, restrooms, conference rooms, meeting rooms, classrooms, employee cafeterias, hallways, and vehicles. In the past, smoking was already prohibited in public buildings as was noted in Cookeville’s personnel policy, but the new law specifically includes public vehicles.

“The way I interpret the law, it applies to city vehicles, including the city manager’s,” Cookeville City Manager Jim Shipley said, as quoted on www.herald-citizen.com. Members of the council agreed.

The city has 315 vehicles that would be subject to the no smoking law, according to the city’s May 30 insurance renewal information. That includes police cars, as well as fire trucks and garbage trucks.

However, of all the city employees who drive city-owned vehicles, Fowler estimates that not many of them smoke.

In Putnam County, the new law applies to the county’s approximately 350 vehicles, which include the sheriff’s department, ambulance service, fire, maintenance, solid waste, parks and recreation, and property assessor. The exception for not smoking in public vehicles as listed in the new law is for commercial vehicles when the vehicle is occupied solely by the operator.