Mecklenburg County Public Health is collaborating with Charlotte Pride to introduce the first tobacco-free zone at the upcoming Charlotte Pride Festival. The event is scheduled for August 16 and 17 and will be held in and around First Ward Park, a new location for the festival. All areas within First Ward Park, including the Youth and Family Zone, will be designated as 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 policy prohibits smoking, vaping, and all forms of tobacco use. Organizers say these measures are intended to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, prevent youth from starting tobacco use, and support current 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.
Research shows that tobacco companies have targeted the LGBTQ+ community through advertising at events such as Pride festivals. Data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services indicates that LGBTQ+ North Carolinians are 40% more likely to smoke than the general population; 23% of LGBTQ+ individuals in North Carolina smoke compared to 15.5% of all residents.
Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable death among LGBTQ+ people. According to health officials, it kills more members of this community than HIV/AIDS, illegal drugs, car accidents, alcohol, and suicide combined.
To support those seeking to quit tobacco use, Mecklenburg County Public Health promotes QuitlineNC. The service offers free counseling and medications such as nicotine patches or gum mailed directly to eligible callers’ homes. Smokers can register online or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) for individualized plans. Additionally, young people aged 13 years or older can access free quit support by texting “VapeFreeNC” to 88709.
During the festival weekend, Mecklenburg County Public Health staff will also provide health resources at their booth—including education on quitting tobacco products—as well as free HIV/STI testing and naloxone distribution.
Enrollment in Mecklenburg County schools saw a slight decline of 0.4% during the 2022-23 school year compared with the previous year (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). Despite this decrease, total enrollment was reported at 153,537 students for that period (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
