On Tuesday, the Gaston County Board of Commissioners approved a multi-pronged smoking ban that will prohibit the use of tobacco products—including e-cigarettes—on county property, including county parks, as well as within indoor public places.

According to the ordinance, the ban will apply to the entire geographic bounds of Gaston County, including the municipalities within Gaston County, but excluding property owned, leased, or maintained by the State of North Carolina. It will not apply to the public streets and sidewalks within Gaston County or to public places that are not indoors.

Tha ban goes into effect on July 1, 2020. Fines for violations will not begin until the third instance, at which point a violator could be charged up to $200.

Gaston County is home to just over 220,000 residents and is located immediately west of Charlotte.

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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.