Ordinances vary by municipality but generally prohibit the use of combustible commercial tobacco and other commercial tobacco products in public places, businesses (including restaurants), and some outdoor areas such as ballparks, stadiums, parades, or amphitheaters. Some ordinances include vaping.

Smoke-Free Workplace Ordinance Map: If you're looking to shop, eat or do business in a smoke-free environment, see the map below for information about towns, cities or counties that have adopted local commercial tobacco-free or smoke-free ordinances.

Started in 2015, the A Healthier State:  Make Every Workday Great initiative addresses SHS and SHA exposure in the workplace at state agencies. Technical assistance and education is provided to state agencies to help enact tobacco-free and smoke-free efforts. This effort has been expanded to include any South Carolina worksite interested in becoming smoke-free or tobacco-free.

This effort recognizes the commitment of community leaders to protect public health with local smoke-free protections. Learn more about Smoke-Free Palmetto Certification and the importance of clean air that is free from secondhand smoke and vaping aerosol.

People living with mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety, or substance use issues are more likely to use tobacco and to suffer from tobacco-related health disparities. DPH encourages residential mental health and substance use treatment facilities across the state to provide tobacco cessation education and resources. DPH provides technical assistance to help facility managers create a tobacco-free setting that meets the unique needs of their residents.

Everyone has the right to breathe clean air. Outdoor smoke-free laws are typically enacted by elected officials and local boards of health. DPH provides education and awareness about the benefits of outdoor clean air protections to communities and organizations interested in tobacco-free outdoor settings.

Since 2010, the Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control has supported the tobacco-free efforts of Hold Out the Lifeline, a nonprofit dedicated to faith-based health advocacy.  

SHS travels through ductwork, hallways, and windows—exposing residents in multi-unit housing to unwanted toxins. In SC, over 206,000 multi-unit housing residents experienced SHS infiltration in their homes in the past year. DPH provides education and resources to assist with smoke-free and tobacco-free policies in this setting. The National Housing Law Project developed a free guide to assist those interested in implementing a smoke-free public housing policy.