This NFL stadium allowed you to smoke in designated areas. Now you can’t

The start to August also means the beginning of Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium becoming a smoke and tobacco-free venue.

The decision to ban smoking and tobacco items came at Tuesday’s Tampa Sports Authority Board of Directors vote, where cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes or vapor pipes are banned, according to a press release. The facility is home to the Buccaneers (NFL), USF Bulls (college) and for concerts. Raymond James Stadium also hosts two college football bowl games and Monster Jam events.

This effects all areas inside the stadium’s gates, and the policy does not allow fans to exit and re-enter.

“Our commitment has always been to provide the most enjoyable fan experience and we feel that making Raymond James Stadium a smoke and tobacco-free venue is a necessary part of that commitment,” Tampa Sports Authority president and CEO Eric Hart said in the press release. “The need for this healthier environment was evident from fan feedback, national trends and feedback from our tenants such as the Buccaneers and USF.”

The first event held under the new policy is Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour concert scheduled for Aug. 14.

Previously, fans could smoke in designated areas throughout the stadium.

Send Bucs, Florida State, UCF and USF story tips to @Jason__Dill on Twitter.