According to Jackie Sergent of the Granville-Vance District Health Department, changes in state law allow public health rules to stop smoking in all municipal buildings within its jurisdiction.
Sergent made her remarks during Monday’s regular Vance County Board of Commissioner’s meeting.
Sergent told commissioners that the counties surrounding Vance have non-smoking policies in place.
As a prelude to asking for the board’s support for a ban on indoor smoking in public buildings, Sergent cited statistics that indicate that tobacco use is responsible for $1,400 per year in employee medical costs for employees who use tobacco.
She also noted that eliminated indoor smoking is the only way to protect non-smoking employees.
After Sergent’s presentation, Vance County Board of Commissioners Chair Danny Wright asked if the surrounding counties use a public health rule to ban indoor smoking in their buildings.
According to Sergent, Person County does, but other counties in the area have their own rules regarding not smoking in public buildings.
Wright called the issue of second-hand smoke “a real problem that has to be addressed”.
A motion to support the efforts of the Health Department passed unopposed.