The proposal passed 7-2 upon first reading, but still has to be voted on again later this month.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville City Council voted Tuesday night on a proposal to ban indoor smoking in the handful of bars and businesses that still allow it. The move was backed by four city council members and would have only needed five total votes to pass on the first reading.
City council passed the vote 7-2 on first reading, amending the motion to Jan. 1, 2027. The ban still has to go before the council one more time and pass before becoming law.
Councilwoman Debbie Helsley voted in favor of the ban.
“Nashville adopted this, 56 bars went smoke-free, business is better, their clientele increased. You name it, pick any employee group, almost all workplaces are smoke-free, but the 21+ venues,” Helsley said.
Councilman Matthew DeBardelaben voted against the ban, saying he didn’t want to see Nashville-Knoxville.
“There’s also a reason why several bartenders and servers who actually do work in these venues have emailed us, they’ve spoken actively against this smoking ban. They choose to work in these places, and they enjoy working in these places,” he said.
But outside the city-county building, the move is reigniting a debate over public health, workers’ rights, and personal freedom.
The proposal, backed by advocacy group Musicians for a Smokefree Knoxville, will affect roughly 15 bars in the city that still allow indoor smoking.
Supporters say the measure will protect workers and performers from secondhand smoke while aligning Knoxville with more than 1,300 smoke-free cities across the country.
“It’s a good move economically, first and foremost,” said Jeremy Korvelas, the chair of the group. “It’s good for public health. It’s good for business.”
Korvelas said the effort is focused less on policing personal habits and more on protecting employees who spend long hours inside smoke-filled establishments. He said that as a musician himself, he wants to advocate for others. He said he has issues taking some gigs because he has asthma.
“What about the freedom of the bartender that gets pregnant or the cook that gets diagnosed with emphysema or the musician with asthma?” he said.
Some business owners, however, argue the decision should remain up to individual establishments and their customers.
Adam Ingle, owner of Alliance Brewing Company, said his business already operates smoke-free, but he opposes a citywide change.
“I’m not a smoker, never have been. We’re a smoke-free establishment,” Ingle said. “I, as an adult, get to choose where I want to go. ”
Ingle said some bars have built their business model around allowing indoor smoking and worries the proposal removes that choice from both owners and patrons.
“It just feels like a little bit of overreach by the local government,” he said. “It can open the door to a lot of other things. Um, so I just think adults should be able to make their own choices and their own decisions.”
The debate is also drawing reaction from other business owners, including Seth Barber, who owns Pirate Tavern, a smoke-free bar, as well as several vape shops in Knoxville.
Barber said he understands the health concerns associated with secondhand smoke but also sympathizes with businesses opposing the measure.
“Why are we taking away the freedoms of individuals to choose to go to places to smoke?” Barber said.
Barber is also concerned that the ban could go further.
“How long until they say, ‘well, Market Square is technically a park, so all these people that have patios on the fronts of Market Square or Gay Street can’t smoke on their patios'” he said.
Bars such as Marie’s Tavern remain among the few establishments in Knoxville where indoor smoking is still permitted. Marie’s has a sign linking people to a petition, which has over 100 signatures.