Orange County NC Website
14 <br /> 1 <br /> 2 Thanks for your consideration. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 Terri Tyson <br /> 5 108 Telluride Trail <br /> 6 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 <br /> 7 919-923-2476 <br /> 8 <br /> 9 From: Melva Fager Okun (unable to attend but sent an email) <br /> 10 I am so thankful that you are considering passing a tobacco-free public spaces ordinance for <br /> 11 Orange County. I worked with every hospital in NC to pass tobacco-free campus policies & also <br /> 12 helped with our schools going tobacco-free. This will protect everyone from the harmful effects <br /> 13 of exposure to secondhand smoke and will encourage tobacco users to quit. I applaud you and <br /> 14 strong urge you to pass such an ordinance. <br /> 15 <br /> 16 Melva Fager Okun DrPH <br /> 17 NC Prevention Partners <br /> 18 919 969-7022 ext. 224 <br /> 19 Follow NCPP on Twitter @ncprevention <br /> 20 <br /> 21 From: Don Stanford <br /> 22 Phone Number: (919) 942-2889 <br /> 23 Message: <br /> 24 This isn't just the obvious and well-documented primary, secondary, and tertiary smoking <br /> 25 problem. Apparently good research suggests that the average smoker consumes 10,000 <br /> 26 cigarettes/year yielding about 3.75 lbs of butts/smoker, most of which winds up as litter. This is <br /> 27 the most common form of litter, and is extraordinarily toxic. Almost all cigarettes now have <br /> 28 filters, and a cigarette filter takes 18 months to ten years (!) to decompose as its contents leach <br /> 29 into the environment. <br /> 30 And don't forget the house fire and wildfire problems - millions of dollars in unnecessary <br /> 31 property damage, not to mention the lives damaged and lost. Please vote to ban smoking in <br /> 32 public places. <br /> 33 <br /> 34 A motion was made by Commissioner Yuhasz, seconded by Commissioner Foushee to <br /> 35 close the public hearing. <br /> 36 <br /> 37 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 38 <br /> 39 Commissioner McKee said that since he was 15 years old until 2007 he grew tobacco. <br /> 40 From 1972 to 1983 he was a heavy smoker. He said that this ordinance covers the towns. He <br /> 41 asked the Attorney if the towns' ordinances are more or less restrictive. <br /> 42 <br /> 43 John Roberts said that this rule would not impact more stringently any town ordinances. <br /> 44 If the town ordinance is less stringent, the Board of Health ordinance would take precedence. <br /> 45 Commissioner McKee asked if discussions had been held with the municipalities to <br /> 46 make sure that they are all in agreement. <br /> 47 Colleen Bridger said that there was a public leaders' forum for elected officials to <br /> 48 express concerns. The leaders in attendance were supportive and were mainly interested in <br /> 49 the technicalities surrounding the implementation. She and the Chair of the Board of Health <br />