Public Health Celebrates First Tobacco-Free Zone at Charlotte Pride Festival

Mecklenburg County Public Health is partnering with Charlotte Pride to offer the first tobacco-free zone at the Charlotte Pride Festival. The festival will take place Aug. 16 and 17 at a new location: in and around First Ward Park. All areas within First Ward Park, including the Youth and Family Zone, will be designated tobacco-free.

“We’re excited to partner with Charlotte Pride to offer a tobacco-free festival to ensure a safe and healthy environment and highlight the dangers of tobacco,” said Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington. “This will help protect our more vulnerable residents like seniors, youth and people living with HIV and other chronic conditions, and it will help deter people from starting this dangerous habit.”

The tobacco-free zone prohibits smoking, vaping and the use of any tobacco products to reduce secondhand smoke exposure, to keep youth from starting tobacco use, and to help current tobacco users who are trying to quit.

“We are pleased to partner with Mecklenburg County Public Health to take this step towards creating and encouraging better health for our local LGBTQ+ community, and we think our large, annual, free festival allows a powerful way to do this,” said Charlotte Pride Managing Director Meredith Thompson.

Tobacco companies have historically targeted the LGBTQ+ community through advertising at Pride events, and the LBGTQ+ community consistently has higher smoking rates. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, LGBTQ+ North Carolinians are 40% more likely to smoke (23% of LGBTQ+ North Carolinians smoke compared to 15.5% of the general population).

Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable death in the LGBTQ+ community, and tobacco kills more LGBTQ+ people than HIV/AIDs, illegal drugs, car accidents, alcohol, and suicide combined.

Mecklenburg County Public Health promotes QuitlineNC to help people who are quitting tobacco use through free counseling and access to medications. Smokers can register online or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and a quit coach will create an individualized quit plan. Nicotine replacement therapy (i.e., nicotine patch + gum/lozenge) can be mailed to the home of eligible callers. In addition, young people 13 years and up who prefer texting can access free quit support through the Ex-Program by texting “VapeFreeNC” to 88709.  

Mecklenburg County Public Health will also be participating in the Pride Festival and Parade to offer health resources, tobacco cessation education, free HIV/STI testing and free naloxone.