 |
 |
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
Tips Home | Home | Public Places | Workplaces |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
The following action steps serve as a guide for you or your coalition to successfully work for a clean air policy for enclosed public facilities in your community. It provides the tools and resources that will help you conduct an effective—and hopefully winning—campaign.
To be most effective, collaborate with a coalition in your area. Contact your local health organization, such as the American Cancer Society,* American Heart Association,* or American Lung Association.* It is likely that they are involved in tackling secondhand smoke in your state, and may know about groups to join in your community. You can also contact smoke less states,* which funds state tobacco control coalitions in 43 States and the District of Columbia.
Review What the Experts Say about planning and conducting a clean indoor air campaign.
Fact Sheets
Usually one-page bulleted data sheets that contain your most important
information. They also include sources for each piece of information. Fact
sheets are often used in information kits or as handouts.
Posters and Billboards
Creative displays of your campaign message that can be posted almost anywhere
with the appropriate permission or permits.
Newspaper Advertisements
Newspaper advertising sales departments can give you rates for advertisements
of different sizes. They will tell you how you need to format your ad. Others
may offer a discount for ads placed by nonprofit organizations (such as
voluntary health agencies) or for running an ad multiple times.
Typically, however, most of your newspaper coverage — and all of your media coverage, for that matter — will be earned through media advocacy, rather than paid media. In most clean indoor air policy efforts, paid ads are generally reserved for key moments (e.g., the week or day before the local policymaking body is scheduled to vote on the proposed policy).
Television or Radio Advertisements and Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
A number of professionally produced television and radio ads are available
through the Media Campaign Resource Center for Tobacco Control.
You can try asking television and radio stations that broadcast to your
community to air these messages at no cost as PSAs. However, you do not control
when PSAs air, which often are at times when few people are exposed to them.
Alternatively, you can try to purchase an ad. However, this is typically quite expensive. You may be able to piggyback on television or radio ads that have been placed by outside organizations. These could include ads placed by your state’s tobacco control program as part of a statewide media campaign or ads placed by the American Legacy Foundation.
Letters to the Editor
Letters submitted to the editorial department of a newspaper can be
signed by one member of a group on behalf of the entire group. The letters can
be powerful tools for influencing local policymakers, either indirectly (by
influencing their constituents) or directly. They should be submitted to the
newspaper that policymakers and community residents are most likely to read.
They should be brief and to-the-point, and should focus on communicating one or
two key messages. For more guidance on how to make the most of this important
form of communication, see Tips for Writing Letters.*
Charts, Graphics, Maps
Visually displaying data or statistics is an effective way to make your
point. Make sure that your graphics present factually accurate information in a
clear, uncluttered, compelling way that drives home your key messages.
Presentations
You should pursue opportunities to give presentations on your issue to
various groups. The audiences may be selected to
You should create a boilerplate presentation on the health effects of secondhand smoke and the rationale for the proposed policy that can be delivered by coalition members. It can also be photocopied and placed in an information kit.
Information Kits
These usually consist of folders with a label or logo on the front
identifying the organization that is presenting the information inside. Consider
using this format to provide information for policymakers that will echo,
reinforce, and augment the information you give them orally. Provide a
manageable amount of information — don’t overwhelm policymakers with reams
of paper. Each of the materials in the packet should deliver a key message in a
clear, succinct manner that is understandable to laypersons. Be consistent in
your use of your slogan, logo, and colors. Make sure to provide a contact person
and a way to get in touch with that person.
Identify coalition members who possess special computer skills (i.e., experience with graphic design and so forth) who can help create materials. Take advantage of your nearest copy shop, many of which offer design and other production services.
See if your community has a local Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)* chapter or locate Advertising Agencies* and if they would be willing to champion your cause and provide free services. Be sure to let them know of any partner organizations you have on board (i.e., a local television station) that might help influence their decision in your favor. Agencies often have established relationships with media outlets. The best case scenario is usually to have money for a paid campaign. If that is not possible, then a PSA is your next best option. You can try to get a local advertising agency to develop a PSA that a local television station agrees to air, at no cost to the coalition.
You can also contact the Ad Council,* which produces, distributes, and promotes thousands of public service campaigns on behalf of nonprofit organizations.
To lay the groundwork for a clean air policy, first you need to educate your community on the issues and information you have gathered. The extent of your community education outreach will be determined by the results of your community assessment. All target audiences need to be considered, including the media and the general public. However, the ultimate focus should always be on the decision makers who have the power to enact the desired policy. This education will lay the groundwork for support of the proposed policy change.
There are several things to consider when Working With the Media.* This guide to Media Advocacy* will help you as you start making your media contacts.
Review ways to Working With Elected Officials,* whether it’s by Meeting with Elected Officials,* telephone calls, letters, or E-mail messages.
You can use these Tips for Writing Letters* to help you craft effective letters to policymakers.
Tips for Testifying* will help you prepare well-organized, clear, compelling testimony at public hearings.
Search Tobacco Industry Documents and use the industry’s own words to help you make your case.
These Sample Speaking and Writing Points* will help you with your communications.
After you launch the campaign, follow-up is crucial.
If your policy is adopted, take some time to celebrate your victory. But don’t forget to follow up on what you have just accomplished. There are several things that need to be done After an Ordinance Passes.*
If the policy you are pursuing is not adopted, you need to go back and evaluate what went wrong. Did certain tasks fall through the cracks? Did you sufficiently educate your community before launching your campaign? You can use these Action Steps as a guide to review what you did. You also may want to review the Best Practices information.
If these steps don’t shed sufficient light on what went wrong, refer to this Troubleshooting Guide* for help. Finally, don’t forget to acknowledge what you did well and what went right. And don’t give up; learn from your mistakes and try again. Perseverance can pay off when you least expect it.
* Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
