It will be a bit of a lengthy process, but come Jan. 1, 2017, smoking and the use of e-cigarettes on Iredell County property will be a thing of the past, as the county unveiled a new plan this week that will phase in a new ban on smoking.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2016, smoking will be prohibited within 50 feet of any county facility and within any county owned vehicle. On Jan. 1, 2017 that buffer zone will go away and smoking will be completely prohibited on county property, according to the Statesville Record & Landmark.

Iredell County is located just southwest of Winston-Salem and has a population of nearly 165,000 people.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.