The General Assembly finally put an end to a grand madness this year. As ordered by law, all 115 of North Carolina’s school districts have adopted policies banning smoking.

The prohibition is broad. It not only bars anyone from lighting up on campus, but it also applies to off-campus events as well. And it covers everyone, not just students and teachers. Family members and visitors have to comply. Coaches can’t smoke at games. Faculty loses designated-smoking areas. No smoking. Period.

It’s about time. Even in a state where tobacco crops and cigarette manufacturing long helped drive the economy, the notion of letting yet another generation get hooked on an addiction that adds billions of dollars every year to the state’s health-care expenses was lunacy.

And terrible public policy — even if it’s reduced to dollars and cents. This state’s annual health-care cost for smoking-related illness is about $2.5 billion. About a third of that is paid for by the state’s Medicaid program, funded by our taxes.

While the General Assembly agreed to make all North Carolina campuses and school events smoke-free, it hasn’t been so excited about other measures to cut smoking, especially by young people. (more…)