For years, riders at the Durham Station Transportation Center have stepped off buses and into a haze—not just from exhaust fumes, but from cigarette smoke curling through the air. That all changed on April 7, 2025, when GoDurham enacted a sweeping ban on smoking across the entire facility at 601 W. Main Street.
What was once allowed in designated outdoor zones is now entirely off-limits—indoors, outdoors, platforms, concourses, and corners alike. If you light up on-site, expect a uniformed officer to remind you: no smoke, no exceptions.
“We’re not saying you cannot smoke,” explained GoDurham spokeswoman Brenda Jones in an interview with The News & Observer. “We’re just saying you cannot do it here on the premises, on the platform and anywhere at the service station.”
The reason? Health, cleanliness, and growing rider frustration.
A Station Swamped in Smoke—and Butts
According to Jones, the decision came after years of complaints from riders about cigarette litter and secondhand smoke. Despite the tireless efforts of the station’s maintenance crew, cigarette butts littered the facility daily, a visual and olfactory nuisance that undercut Durham’s commitment to clean, safe public spaces.
“Maintenance would do everything to get [the butts] all up, but they’re very hard to get up,” Jones said. “By the next day, it would look like no one had cleaned at all.”
And for the more than 14,000 daily passengers who rely on Durham Station for Amtrak’s Carolinian and Piedmont trains, GoDurham buses, and connecting transit services, the atmosphere mattered.
“Riders would come to us saying that smoking is not good—they’ve got their children there,” Jones said. “They don’t like the smoke, they don’t like the smell of it. We just said enough is enough.”
New Signs, New Slogans, New Standards
GoDurham didn’t spring this ban without warning. Starting in February, riders were notified through station announcements and cheeky, bold signage reading: “Flick the Stick” and “No, It’s Not a Joke—Drop the Smoke.” Police presence was also increased, with five officers patrolling the premises instead of the usual two during rollout week.
Still, Jones notes, enforcement has been met with surprising cooperation. For now, riders caught smoking are simply asked to extinguish their materials. No fines. No citations. Just a request to respect the air we all share.
Public Health Data Backs the Ban
While some may see this as an overreach, the health data tells a compelling story. Between 2018 and 2022, Durham County averaged 91 deaths per year from lung or bronchus cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. The CDC has long warned there is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. It can cause everything from heart disease and lung cancer to low birth weight in newborns and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
And this isn’t a new effort in Durham County. A 2012 ordinance already banned smoking in public parks, trails, sidewalks, bus stops, and around childcare and healthcare facilities. The new GoDurham policy aligns with that momentum.
A Clearer, Cleaner Future
Durham Station is currently undergoing construction to expand its services with additional bus bays, new restrooms, and increased security kiosks. A smoke-free environment complements that vision, creating a cleaner, safer space for residents, children, and commuters.
As The Bull City Citizen continues covering Durham’s evolving transportation and public health initiatives, one thing is clear: policy changes like this aren’t just about enforcing rules—they’re about elevating standards.
So next time you see a sign that says “Drop the Smoke,” remember—it’s not just a slogan. It’s a breath of fresh air for all of Durham.
Follow The Bull City Citizen for more coverage on transit, policy, and public health initiatives shaping our city.
