Tobacco Prevention and Control
Reducing deaths and health problems due to tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke or e-cigarette aerosols.
Mecklenburg County's Tobacco Prevention and Control team promotes culturally appropriate and best practice strategies to reduce deaths and health problems due to tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke or e-cigarette aerosols. All residents in our community deserve a healthy home, workplace and community where tobacco use is no longer the social norm.
Tobacco Prevention Programs
Technical Assistance Available to Community Partners
The following is a list of technical assistance for Community Partners to build capacity for addressing tobacco prevention and cessation, including how organizations can implement a Tobacco-Free Policy, among other best practices.
For more information about technical assistance please contact [email protected] or call 704-614-7805 .
To promote clean air for everyone, tobacco-free environments can be adopted through state or local government laws or organizational and worksite policies. Settings may include local county or municipal governments, worksites, health care and behavioral health services, schools and universities, community-based organizations, multi-unit housing, and recreational venues. Tobacco-Free policies are implemented through clear communications, ample signage, and accessible quit support. Staff are available to assist partners in developing plans and resources to implement and/or improve compliance with tobacco-free policies. We offer educational presentations and tobacco-free signage.
Staff can promote and build capacity among community, healthcare, and behavioral health partners to integrate best practice tobacco treatment into their services. This support could include consultation on using the 5-A’s framework (ask, advise, assess, assist and arrange) for clinical settings, staff trainings (with possible CEUs), scholarships to national/state tobacco treatment trainings, and assistance in increasing access to quit medications. Staff promote QuitlineNC and educate partners on QuitlineNC services and how to become a referring agency. Priority is placed on developing capacity for culturally tailored tobacco treatment.
Staff can work with schools, universities and community partners who serve young people to adopt strategies known to reduce tobacco use. Tobacco prevention curricula and alternative to suspension programs are promoted for school adoption. Trainings on tobacco use trends, product awareness, credible messaging, and tobacco addiction treatment can be provided to school personnel, school nurses, and youth influencers with a focus on a Train-the-Trainer approach. Staff can also work with youth groups around peer-led tobacco prevention messaging and policy advocacy.
The team can educate stakeholders on tobacco retail point of sale issues and explore possible strategies as allowed by current NC law. The team works with national partners such as Counter Tools to access up-to-date tools and consultation for data collection to track retail product trends and industry marketing tactics. Health Equity Impact Assessments can be conducted to analyze the impact that potential tobacco retail policies can have in the community.
- Mecklenburg Multicultural Tobacco-Free Coalition launched in 2024. We envision a community where all people regardless of race/ethnicity, age, income, or identity, have an equal chance to breathe clean air and are free from overexposure to tobacco products, especially menthol tobacco. Visit Tobacco-Free.MeckNC.gov and our team will reach out to discuss coalition involvement.
- Change for Life: Tobacco Free Recovery NC Coalitionis a behavioral health professionals coalition that started in Mecklenburg in 2021 and expanded statewide in 2024. MCPH staff are active members and can assist in consultation and resources for taking your mental health or substance use treatment agency tobacco-free. Visit our webpage to view a Road Map for going tobacco-free and more.
- Region 4 Tobacco-Free Alliance – Coordinated by the MCPH-based Regional Tobacco Control Manager is a network of individuals and organizations supporting tobacco prevention and control efforts in the 11 counties of Health Region 4 (Alexander, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanley and Union counties).
As capacity allows, staff can participate in community events and provide tobacco-related health education materials and promotion of tobacco quit resources.
The team partners to develop tobacco awareness and quit campaigns focused on priority populations. Our Quit Menthol Your Way campaign educates about the harmful impact of menthol tobacco and connects people to quit help. Digital campaign ads tailored to LGB women are available. Partner with us to continue expanding population-specific community marketing to promote tobacco-free living.
Health Disparities* Related to Tobacco Use and Advancing Health Equity
A commitment to health equity involves understanding health disparities related to tobacco and factors that cause these disparities. Several factors connect tobacco with higher levels of disease, disability, and death in different population groups. For example:
- The tobacco industry uses tailored marketing and advertising to target some groups and communities.
- Tobacco companies use flavors to entice specific groups to try their harmful products.
- The pressures of discrimination, poverty, and other social conditions can increase commercial tobacco use and make health problems worse.
- Population groups need more protections from exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Some groups encounter barriers to health care and treatment for tobacco use and dependence.
FromThe Centers for Disease Control, Smoking and Tobacco Use
* Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or in opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged racial, ethnic, and other population groups, and communities.
Populations that warrant special attention for advancing health equity, due to tobacco use and industry targeting, include:
- African Americans
- American Indians or Alaska Natives
- Armed services members and military veterans
- Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, or Pacific Islanders
- Hispanics and Latinos
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, (LGBTQ+) individuals
- People of lower socioeconomic status (SES)
- People with mental health and/or substance use disorders (MH/SUD)
- Youth and Young Adults
To learn more about how to talk about tobacco impacts from a health equity perspective, visit Framing Tobacco Disparities and Smoking and Tobacco Use, CDC.
Resources for Partners
Staff have access to community health data sets, analytics, and visualizations created by Mecklenburg County Public Health Epidemiology Division; these can be provided to help inform decision making.
Staff have access to tobacco use data for Mecklenburg County Adult Use Rates by demographic factors (BRFSS); NC Adult Use Data; NC Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS); NC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), Charlotte-Mecklenburg YRBS; among other available data.
Staff can provide sample policies, action plans, communication materials, palm cards and signage (decals, metal outdoor signs and A-frames, e-designs).
Staff can provide QuitlineNC brochures, cards, information sheets, branded water bottles, pens, stress balls, bags etc.
Staff can provide QuitlineNC brochures, cards, information sheets, branded water bottles, pens, stress balls, bags etc.
Staff can provide access to Youth Tobacco Prevention Curriculum & Alternative to Suspension Programs for K-12 schools. Staff can also provide locally developed “Vaping Mind Maps” materials/teacher guide for middle schools.
Staff can provide tobacco-related educational materials for all ages, anti-vaping posters, infographics, No Menthol Sunday materials, and e-versions of various digital ads. Offerings are updated regularly.