American Heart Association and students urge Raleigh to finalize smoke‑ and vape‑free ordinance

Representatives of the American Heart Association and several local students urged the Raleigh City Council to finalize and pass updated smoke‑ and vape‑free ordinance language the council has moved forward for drafting.

Liliana Marin, community impact director for the American Heart Association in The Triangle, told the council that eliminating smoking and vaping in public places protects people with asthma, heart disease and other chronic conditions and cited AHA data that secondhand smoke contributes to more than 34,000 deaths from heart disease across the United States. "This policy also shifts norms," Marin said, arguing that smoke‑free places support prevention and cessation.

Mona Mazloom, an AHA volunteer and public‑health professional, thanked the council for a unanimous vote to move drafting forward and urged members to vote for the updated language when it is presented next week. "This action shows the council's continued dedication to improving the health and safety of Raleigh's nearly 500,000 residents," Mazloom said.

Students from local high schools described seeing vaping in parks, on school buses and near schools and explained why they support a 100% tobacco‑ and vape‑free policy. A junior at Broughton High School (identified as Umakuncha) described vaping in school bathrooms and the removal of bathroom access; Anvi Mathur, an Enloe Magnet High School student, said public vaping normalizes nicotine and increases the chance of youth initiation. Mansip Chacho, a Green Hope High School junior, also urged the council to think about youth when voting.

The speakers asked the council to support the final passage of the ordinance when the drafted language is presented in an upcoming meeting; no vote occurred during the public‐comment segment.

Next steps: council staff expected to present the updated ordinance language next week; speakers urged a vote in favor at that time.