Smokefree air is coming to North Carolina!

Publication Date: 2009-05-26

North Carolina has achieved a fantastic, historic success by adopting a strong 100% smokefree air law for all restaurants and bars. Governor Bev Perdue signed the new law on May 19 and it is scheduled to go into effect on January 2, 2010.

While the law will unfortunately exempt non-hospitality workplaces and cigar bars, it is still a major step forward in protecting residents and workers, especially in the nation's largest tobacco growing state and home to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Your voices, as North Carolina residents and advocates who no longer want to breathe toxic smoke-filled air, triumphed over the opposition arguments and tobacco industry influence.

Significantly, the law also partially restores local control by allowing local governments to adopt smokefree laws for government workplaces and public places. North Carolina communities have been severely limited from working on local smokefree workplace laws by preemptive state regulations, and now local governments will be able to respond to their communities' needs.

Congratulations to all the advocates and organizations, especially the North Carolina Alliance for Health, who did a wonderful job to help get this law enacted, putting in a lot of time and hard work in support of smokefree air and local control over the course of many years.

What Can You Do to Celebrate this Success?

1. Thank North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue and bill sponsor, House Majority Leader Rep. Hugh Holliman, for bringing smokefree air to all restaurants and bars. You can contact Governor Perdue or Rep. Holliman by email, letter or phone. Let them know how much this new law means to you and your family, and how you are looking forward to enjoying a healthier, more vibrant North Carolina.

2. Help support ANR's efforts to fight for your right to breathe smokefree air in North Carolina and around the country. Donate $25 to ANR today to support efforts to implement North Carolina's law, to strengthen it to include non-hospitality workplaces (such as offices and factories), and to fully restore local control. Then, let your friends and neighbors know about this development to be sure they know the good news and what's left to do.

Thank you!