Just over six weeks since the Gautier City Council passed a smoking ban that prohibited smoking in bars, restaurants and public buildings, the seven member council voted on Tuesday to make a change.

The council modified the ordinance to allow smoking in bars and will create an allowance for other businesses to have indoor smoking rooms as long as they are separated and have proper ventilation systems. The modified ordinance passed by a vote of 5-2 and can be seen here.

Previously, only private clubs, retail tobacco stores and private residences were the only places exempted under the ordinance.

Danielle Litsey of the Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition of Jackson County told the Associated Press that the modified ordinance means the city is no longer qualified for federal health insurance grants since it is no longer a comprehensive ordinance.

Gautier is a coastal town located in the southeastern part of the state and is home to just under 20,000 people.

Avatar photo

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.