Smoky bar gone at Fort Smith VFW Post

Days and nights inside Jim Taylor Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 8845 in Fort Smith will not be so smoky any more.

Smoking has been voted out, and the stains of tobacco smoke scrubbed and cleaned from the post at 3005 Tilles Ave.

More: VFW Post 8845 in Fort Smith goes smokeless

To prepare for the Monday Aug. 1 grand reopening, post members showed up Sunday to take down framed photos, decorations, displays and other items to wipe down. The carpet was cleaned and years of smoke within the walls remembered more than smelled.

Stephen Wright, Post Adjutant, said the health of aging veterans is of utmost importance inside a building where people have smoked since it opened in 1981.

Smoking is allowed in bars in Arkansas, but banning smoking means the post will be more family friendly as children are allowed in areas that are not near the bar.

Wright cited Centers for Disease Control statistics that state secondhand smoke is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths annually in the United States. Inhaling even a little can be dangerous, affects babies before and after they are born, causes cancer in adults and is known to increase the risk of heart disease in those who do not smoke.

"Our Post is committed to respecting the health of our Veterans, their families, the supporters of the Post and the patrons of the establishment. Going smoke-free is just one of the ways Post 8845 is committed to improving the health of the community.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Smoking is no longer allowed at the Fort Smith VFW Post