Teen Smoking Rates Drop to Historic Low

• News Release - 05/17/12
• 2011 Survey Summary Tables (PDF, 226 KB)
• 2011 Survey Fact Sheet (PDF, 242 KB)
• 2011 Youth Tobacco Survey Page (includes data from previous survey)
• TRU (Tobacco Reality Unfiltered)

See SmokeFree.NC.gov for more information on North Carolina's Smoke-Free Restaurants and Bars Law.

On May 19, 2009, Governor Bev Perdue signed legislation that will protect people from the serious health hazards of secondhand smoke in many workplaces and public places.  Effective January 2, 2010, this new law bans smoking in restaurants and bars in North Carolina. This historic bill, introduced by Representative Hugh Holliman, eliminates secondhand smoke exposure in over 24,000 locations statewide. Visit the N.C. General Assembly's Web site to read the signed legislation (click the "Ch. SL 2009-27" link for the signed version).

For more in-depth information, the UNC Institute of Government has a paper published in May 2009 on Smoking in Public Places: Recent Changes in State Law.

Smoke-Free Toolkit: Resource for Local Governments

The state law (G.S. 130A-498 ) went into effect January 2, 2010, giving local governments clear authority to further regulate smoking on local government grounds and in enclosed public places.

State Buildings Smoke-Free; Local Governments Can Do the Same

Beginning January 1, 2008, House Bill 24 became law (N.C. Gen. Stat. 130A-491), banning smoking inside all state government buildings and allowing N.C. local governments to do the same, if they choose. Read more...