“Here’s to Your Health, Ames!”

A banner bearing this slogan greeted participants at a rally held in the Ames city chambers on Wednesday afternoon to commemorate the anti-smoking ordinance.

The rally included the presentation of three certificates of recognition to Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, Sen. Johnie Hammond, D-Ames, and Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco.

The ordinance, which will go into effect Wednesday, is the first anti-smoking law for restaurants, bars and hotels in the state of Iowa, said George Belistos, co-chair for Ames Tobacco Task Force.

Tom Miller spoke to over 50 participants and thanked the city of Ames for taking this action to become smoke free.

“It’s a cultural war between tobacco companies and life,” Miller said. “There is so much at stake.”

He said the cultural war has been going on for the last 50 years, with tobacco companies being in control.

“They let us underestimate what was at stake, and we’re trying to change that,” he said.

Miller said having smoking banned 14 hours a day is important on many levels.

“Smoking is dangerous [and] risky, [it] causes harm and must be stopped,” he said.

He said he hopes the results of the ordinance will help people stop smoking because over 5,000 lives are lost in Iowa due to tobacco each year.

Miller hopes the ordinance will move towards a total 24-hour ban and that eventually other communities will follow in Ames’ footsteps.

Anti-smoking campaigns are hoping for a decline in smoking, he said.

“We will see a remarkable and beneficial change in Iowa [due to these campaigns],” he said.

Members of the Ames Tobacco Task Force also acknowledged the Ames City Council for their work in passing the ordinance.

Table tents, ads and fliers will be distributed to restaurants, bars and hotels to inform citizens and visitors of the ordinance, said Harlan Dubansky of Ames.

“This is a whole new chapter in the history of our community and the history of our state,” Belistos said.