Pitt County Government

Pitt County Health Department
201 Government Circle Greenville, NC 27834

1/2/2010

North Carolina restaurants and bars: Now serving smoke-free air

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2009 H1N1 Influenza Information Update

North Carolina’s historic smoke-free restaurants and bars law went into effect at midnight on January 2, rendering all restaurants and bars smoke-free indoors, with very few exceptions.

"This is a historic moment for the health of people in North Carolina," said North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. "This single action will save lives and improve the health of North Carolina residents, visitors and food service workers, as they will avoid many of the health problems caused by secondhand smoke."

The new law, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Perdue in May, includes not only restaurants and bars, but other venues that serve food and are inspected by local health departments, including many recreational facilities, convenience stores, hotel common areas, and private/for-profit clubs. Hotels and other lodging facilities may designate no more than 20 percent of their guest rooms for smoking.

The new smoke-free law requires affected businesses to post no-smoking signs, remove ashtrays, and ask smokers to step outside to smoke. Businesses that repeatedly break the law can be fined up to $200 per day. Smokers who refuse to smoke outside can be fined up to $50 by local law enforcement for defying the law.

Enforcement is complaint-driven. Pitt County Health Department encourages people to speak to the manager of the business so that the manager is aware of the law. If a manager sees someone smoking, he/she is supposed to advise the customer of the new law. The role of the health department is to follow-up on complaints where it appears the manager/establishment is not following the law. Local health departments will investigate businesses based on filed complaints.

There are three ways to report a possible business violation of the law: (1) call the Pitt County Health Department at 902-2305; (2) visit www.smokefree.nc.gov and complete an on-line form; or (3) call the N.C. CARE-LINE at 1-800-662-7030 (TTY 1-877-452-2514) 7 a.m. - 11 p.m., seven days a week. CARE-LINE services are available in over 150 languages. After hours, you may leave a message and your call will be returned.

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