KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Knoxville City Council is considering an ordinance that would ban smoking and vaping inside age-restricted venues.
Supporters say the proposal is designed to protect servers, bartenders and musicians who work in bars and clubs.
“Musicians and hospitality workers are really the only two groups of our community members that don’t have the guarantee of going to work and getting a smoke-free workplace,” said Jamie Kent, a supporter of the ordinance.
The proposal would ban smoking cigarettes and vapes inside age-restricted venues. Kent, a musician who battles asthma, said he would lose his voice in the middle of shows and have to cancel performances.
Some customers say the smoke changes their experience. William Land, a patron, said there’s nowhere for the smoke to go and he usually doesn’t agree with indoor smoking.
Tennessee banned indoor smoking in most workplaces in 2007, but 21-and-up bars and clubs were an exception. Kent said this leaves a gap in worker protections.
“What if a bartender becomes pregnant while working on the job? Should she have to leave because of that when there’s such an easy solution here that can allow people to still smoke, step outside, come back in and make sure that employees are protected, just like they are in every other workplace here in Tennessee?” Kent said.
Kent said the goal is not to stop people from smoking but to move the smoke outside.
“I’ve heard people say, oh, if you don’t like it, just go play somewhere else or just go work somewhere else. But it’s not always that easy. So many middle class musicians are working paycheck to paycheck,” Kent said.
Cool Beans, a bar on the University of Tennessee campus, shared a statement saying their employees choose to work there knowing that smoking is permitted and customers have been going there for 26 years with the understanding that smoking is part of the environment. The bar said 21-and-up bars should have the right to decide for themselves whether to allow smoking.
The ordinance passed on its first reading Tuesday night. It still needs to pass its second reading on May 26 before going into effect.
Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.