Iredell County Implements Smoke-Free Policy From Dec. 1st

The Iredell County government has approved the request made by the Iredell County Health Department regarding a smoke-free policy, which will take effect on December 1st.

This policy will apply to the main healthcare department building, the building standards building, and the South campus of the government center in Statensville. All facilities will be 100% smoke-free and the use of tobacco products will be prohibited inside the buildings, vehicles, outdoor areas, sidewalks, and parking lots.

County Mayor Beth Mull announced that the policy would prohibit all forms of tobacco use, including electronic, heated, and smokeless tobacco products, as well as nicotine products that are not FDA-approved as tobacco cessation medications. Mull told the board that the new policy was a requirement of North Carolina's Medicaid program, and implementing the policy was necessary in order for the county to receive funding.

She said, "The medical subsidy program provides a total funding of approximately 3.2 million US dollars, and if we want to continue receiving this funding, we need to do this.

Commissioner Gene Houpe, who voted in support of the policy, stated that he did not want the county to lose federal funding, but he believed the policy was unfair. Houpe said, "I think some of the policies are extreme. They strip citizens of the freedom they should be able to create for themselves.

Some people argue that the policy is unreasonable. According to Norma Reef, the director of the county health bureau, "We don't want to prevent people from doing what they feel they need to do.

She added that "in terms of the services the Health Department can provide to citizens, this funding is crucial.

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