Smoke-Free Advocacy

Smoke-Free environments are highly effective in protecting the public from the health hazards of secondhand smoke. The NC Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch and our partners have worked hard to provide protection from secondhand smoke and e-cigarette aerosol through local smoking/tobacco regulations. NC's current law does not allow smoking in restaurants and bars. It also allows local governments to do more including ordinances or board of health rules for tobacco-free government buildings, vehicles and grounds, as well as indoor public places.

Why It Matters

Secondhand smoke causes many preventable illnesses and deaths. Tobacco-Free environments helps:

• Protect people from secondhand smoke and e-cigarette aerosol
• Encourage people who smoke or use other tobacco products to quit
• Discourage young people from starting to smoke
• Encourage people who smoke quit to keep their loved ones safe from tobacco exposure