Please feel free to use some of these points for your phone call or e-mail.  You should also add some of your own comments to make it your own. 

When making your call or writing your email:

• Keep it brief!  Legislators are much more likely to read your comments if they are brief and to the point..
• Focus your contact on “local control”.  That is the ONLY thing we are asking our elected officials to support this session (see below for local control definition).
• Make sure your facts are accurate (see more information in talking points below).

Background Information:

• In 1993, North Carolina passed a law stating that no local government could pass an ordinance stronger than the state law as it relates to smoking in public places.  That means that Mecklenburg County cannot legally pass any smoking related ordinances the way the law reads currently.
• Mecklenburg County is asking for an exemption from the state law described above during the 2007 legislative session so that Mecklenburg County will be able to regulate smoking in public places if it chooses to.  This is called “local control”.

Talking Points:

• In June 2006, the Surgeon General released his latest report on secondhand smoke.  This report clearly stated, among many other things, that there is NO safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that separate ventilation systems and smoking and non smoking sections in restaurants do not protect anyone from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
• In a recent independent poll of Mecklenburg County registered voters, results showed that 80.6% of those polled thought Mecklenburg County should have local control.  Additionally, 75.5% of those polled wanted comprehensive smoke free workplaces including restaurants and bars.
• In Mecklenburg County, 4 towns (Cornelius, Davidson, Pineville and Mint Hill), the City of Charlotte and the Mecklenburg County Commissioners all voted to support regaining local control in Mecklenburg County.  Five out of those 6 votes were unanimous!
• In a recent study conducted in Mecklenburg County restaurants and bars, the Mecklenburg County Health department found that the air quality in restaurants that allow smoking in designated areas (smoking sections) was 5 times worse than smoke-free venues and 12 times worse in venues that allow smoking anywhere. In one venue, the air quality was, on average, 28 times worse than the average smoke-free venue.
• The overwhelming majority of studies on the economic impact of smoke free air laws clearly show that there is no negative impact after these laws go into effect.  In fact, there is often a positive impact on business and tourism!
• Thousand of people have signed the Smoke Free Mecklenburg petition to support local control and smoke free workplaces.
• It is clear that there is a high level of support in Mecklenburg County on this issue among the people as well as our local elected officials.  It is our hope that the representatives and Senators we elected to represent us in Raleigh will hear us loud and clear and vote to support regaining local control for Mecklenburg County!
• I am a constituent in your District and I support regaining local control!  I am asking you, as my elected official, to support it too!