DES MOINES, IOWA — On Tuesday at the Iowa statehouse, former Governor Terry Branstad was joined by others lobbying for stricter tobacco laws in the state and reflecting on 15 years of the Smoke Free Air Act being signed into law.

The law was signed back in 2018, which prohibited smoking in restaurants and places of employment to protect people from secondhand smoke. While reflecting on the last decade and a half, advocates were pushing for greater restrictions when it comes to tobacco in the state.

“We are going to advocate to modernize and expand the Iowa Smoke Free Air Act to include casinos and to include e-cigarettes,” said Dr. Richard Deming, the medical director of MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center.

Deming also said he would encourage lawmakers to increase Iowa’s investment in tobacco prevention and Iowa’s cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack.