2006 smoking ban

On November 21, 2006, the Hattiesburg City Council voted unanimously to ban smoking inside any building accessible to the public, any business with employees, and within fifteen feet of an entrance to those buildings.. The ban went into effect on January 1, 2007.

Businesses are required to enforce the smoking ban, as well as remove ashtrays and post no-smoking signs, including window stickers being distributed to businesses. Complaints against businesses who fail to enforce the ban can result in a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 for a second, and up to $500 for following offenses.

Reaction
Reaction to the smoking ban in early 2007 was mixed.

On the night of January 12, 2007, the owners of three Hattiesburg bars, Fat O'Harry's, Our Place Bar and Grill, and Shenanigans, were given citations by the Hattiesburg Fire Department due to patrons smoking inside the bars. The owners of the cited bars said they plan to challenge the citations.

Seven years after the ban (in 2013), officials and business owners reported that the ban ultimately had little effect on Hattiesburg businesses.