Download cultivating community support for a smoke

ANCHOR
ACCELERATING NATIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMES THROUGH REINFORCING PARTNERSHIPS
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY SUPPORT
FOR A SMOKE-FREE CENTRAL TEXAS!
Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than
42,000 Americans annually. In Texas, more than 4,000 non-smokers die each year from illnesses caused
by secondhand smoke exposure. Policies that prevent smoking indoors, thereby eliminating exposure to
secondhand smoke, have shown to be an effective way to combat this serious threat to public health.
To date, 46 local governments throughout Texas have enacted comprehensive smoke-free workplace policies
intended to protect the public from exposure to secondhand smoke. Over the past several months, American
Heart Association staff have successfully worked to cultivate community support of these policies, specifically
through the establishment of a local coalition, Smoke-free Round Rock. This diverse group of stakeholders
has worked to increase awareness of the benefits of smoke-free environments through education and
local outreach. As a result of these efforts, a broad based foundation of support has been established with
community partners who desire to build smoke-free environments and stronger indoor air policies.
The Challenge
There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke. A majority of communities throughout the central
Texas region do not have comprehensive smoke-free indoor policies, placing residents at greater risk of
developing diseases that are attributed to secondhand smoke exposure. With each breath they take,
central Texans face increased risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and a variety of other serious health
problems caused by exposure to secondhand smoke.
“
Secondhand smoke exposure is dangerous
and potentially deadly. The good news, however,
is that it’s also completely preventable.”
- Kelsey Bernstein, AHA local policy manager
Work made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Solution
The American Heart Association identified and recruited stakeholders to participate in a local coalition made
up of volunteers, community leaders and organizations from the health, education, and faith-based sectors.
The American Heart Association, in partnership with the American Cancer Society and the Williamson Cities
and County Health District, has provided the coalition with direction and charged members to engage in
activities that promote education and awareness of the benefits of having smoke-free environments.
Sustaining Success
The American Heart Association is committed to working with volunteers, local agencies and organizations,
and other stakeholders to increase awareness and build support for implementing comprehensive smokefree workplace policies. Moving forward, the American Heart Association will continue to lead the coalition,
incorporating meaningful educational opportunities that support ongoing engagement of members. To
supplement the work of the coalition, the American Heart Association will use social media and print
and online advertising to deliver targeted messaging and provide current and potential partners with the
information and resources they need to make the case for smoke-free environments. The American Heart
Association also plans to identify smoke-free businesses that can share their experiences through social
media, blog posts, and letters of support. Lastly, the American Heart Association will provide a variety of
collateral materials for public distribution and plans to work with a partner organization to develop a webinar
focused on tactics for establishing and managing effective coalitions.
Support a 100%
SMOKE-FREE
Community
Policy, System and Environmental Change
Cultivating community support for smoke-free environments creates an environmental change by increasing
awareness among citizens and their understanding of the issue. This individual and local environmental
awareness in turn contributes to an atmosphere where meaningful change can occur in the future.
Results
The coalition known as Smoke-free Round Rock began meeting monthly, with its inaugural gathering taking
place in October 2015. Since then, the coalition has received training on how best to build community
capacity in support of this issue. These trainings have included presentations from subject matter experts,
communications exercises, policy briefings, and strategies for engaging volunteers, clients, and staff on the topic
of smoke-free environments. Targeted educational messaging has been disseminated to coalition members,
which they then distributed through their internal and external communication channels. In addition, members
of the coalition have drafted letters of support, participated in community outreach events, signed and collected
pledge cards, and developed an educational social media page. The coalition has brought attention to an issue
that previously garnered very little attention, and its work could serve as a catalyst to drive future policy change.
Get Involved
All central Texas residents are encouraged to attend a meeting of the Smoke-free Round Rock coalition to learn
more about build support for clean air policies. Contact the American Heart Association’s Austin market office for
upcoming meeting information. Smoke-free community supporters are also encouraged to sign the online pledge!
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