By Aug. 1, all public schools in the state of North Carolina will be completely tobacco-free, making the generally tobacco-friendly state one of the nation's only fully smoke-free school environments, the Charlotte Observer reported July 28.

The remaining school systems that had not adopted smoke-free policies in recent years are now doing so in order to meet requirements of a state law. All individuals are barred from smoking on campus throughout the state, and the ban also applies to smoking at off-campus school events such as field trips and athletic contests.

Health advocates' effort to make school environments healthier for students and personnel alike took six years and was most challenging in rural areas where tobacco remains a major crop. "There was resistance based on the historic and economic connections to tobacco. We had to overcome that," said Vandana Shah, executive director of a statewide trust that receives part of the state's share of national tobacco settlement dollars.

Not all officials believe that enforcing the ban at off-campus events such as football games will be easy. Larry Wilson, vice chair of the school board in Mooresville -- one of the final communities in the state to impose a ban -- said, "I've been to other schools where they make an announcement -- `We're tobacco-free' -- and then you have someone smoking in front of you. That sends a bad message to the kids."

Shah's North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund is helping some school districts with implementation of the ban by offering training to school officials and by furnishing signs describing the policy.

The trust fund's chair, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, believes the state's ability to enforce these bans in schools reflects a changed mindset that could lead to further tobacco regulation in North Carolina. "There is no longer any to-do or any concern about tobacco being the death knell for public officials in this state," Perdue said.