Eliminating secondhand smoke where we live, work, and play

Community Strategies:

Buncombe County Initiativeswith HB 2 authority

For government controlled property:

• Board of Health: resolution• County Commissioners: ordinance• Other Municipalities: still in process• Asheville City Council: November meeting

Next work on other public places

Strategies

• Air Quality Monitoring Study

• Advocacy with public officials

13.54

72.07

209.06

0

50

100

150

200

250

SMOKE FREE MIXED SMOKE

Air Quality15x worsethan Smokefree

Air Quality5x worsethan Smokefree

24-hour PM2.5 standard (35μ/m3)

Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) Study

Local Advocacy with public officials

• Board of Health support• WNC caucus in Raleigh presentation• City Parks and Recreation Board meeting• City Council support

Local Advocacy with public officials

• Policy maker luncheon• Factoid campaign clip• “Real Voices” campaign clip • Coalition member contact with legislators

Why is local advocacy important? Lessons Learned

• Increase awareness• Influence local opinion• Cumulative impact:

collaboration with other coalitions in NC policies and laws can change

Examples: 100% tobacco-free schools 127 - 100% tobacco-free hospitals HB2

Questions

Karen Caldwell, MS

Project ASSIST Tobacco Prevention Coalition

Buncombe County Health Center, Asheville, NC

828-250-5048

Karen.Caldwell@buncombcounty.org

Real voices in the community