HILLSBOROUGH — The Orange County Board of Health voted 10-1 in favor of a countywide ban on public smoking after hearing residents’ comments about the ban Wednesday night in Hillsborough.

The ban now goes to the Orange County Board of Commissioners, which will vote Nov. 20 whether to approve the ban law following a public hearing. If the ban goes into effect, smokers will not be able to light up on sidewalks, parks or property owned by the city or county.

During the public comment portion of the hearing, five people spoke in favor of the ban, including health professionals, high school students in the anti-smoking club Tobacco Reality Unfiltered (TRU) and an American Cancer Society representative.

One person spoke against the law, saying it could lead to unintended consequences.

In the comment period leading up to the meeting, the board heard from nearly 800 people, who were mostly in favor of the ban.

Lloyd: 919-932-2008