Ready to Quit?

Durham County offers free classes to help people quit smoking. Classes are also open to people who want to quit using e-cigarettes or other tobacco products.

Click here to learn more.

North Carolina has a free Quitline, which offers telephone counseling to help people quit smoking and/or quit using tobacco products.

Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit their website at quitlinenc.com

Smoke-free Outdoor Spaces

Durham County Board of Health Smoking Rule bans smoking and e-cigarette use in many public outdoor spaces, including:

• Parks
• Trails
• Public Sidewalks
• Bus stops
• Hospital Grounds

In addition, the Rule bans smoking and e-cigarette use in some indoor areas, including:

• Public Restrooms
• Public Areas of Retail Establishments
• Childcare facilities

Click here for a full list of places.

Bull City Successes!

Durham County Board of Health added e-cigarettes to the Board of Health Smoking Rule. There is growing evidence that e-cigarette aerosol contains harmful chemicals that cause respiratory problems. The most recent Surgeon General’s Report, released in 2016, deemed e-cigarette use “an emerging public health concern” and recommended adding e-cigarettes to any smoke-free policies.   

Click here to read the full policy.  For the full policy in Spanish, please click here.

Durham County Smoking Rule
Board of Health Smoking Rule adopted by County Ordinance

Have you seen someone smoking or using an e-cigarette in one of these places?
Click here to report a violation. Select ‘Public Health’ then ‘Smoking Violation.’

Smoke-free housing

As of July 2018, all Durham Housing Authority Properties are tobacco-free. This policy is a new federal requirement from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which requires all housing authorities in the U.S. to ban smoking indoors and at least 25 feet outside the property.

Click here for a list of Durham Housing Authority Properties that are now tobacco free.

For the past 20 years, there has been a trend towards smoke-free housing. Many apartment complexes, condos, and other properties have chosen to go smoke-free to protect the health and safety of residents. Secondhand smoke travels through walls and vents between apartments and can cause asthma, respiratory illness, and can trigger a heart attack. Smoking is also the number one cause of fire death in the U.S.

Learn more

Webinars on tobacco topics
Durham Together for Resilient Youth (TRY)
North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch
Surgeon General’s Report on E-cigarettes
American Cancer Society
Center for Disease Control
TIPS from Former Smokers
Truth Campaign

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