El Paso: Star of Texas
The Passage of a Smoke-Free Ordinance
Presentation Outline
I. Introductions
II. El Paso Demographics
III. A Historical Perspective
IV. Organization & Grassroots Mobilization
V. Getting the Votes
VI. Lessons Learned
VII. Q & A
Introduction of Presenters
Becky Zima, Tobacco Control Coordinator– Texas Department of Health
Sue Beatty, Health Education & Training Manager– City of El Paso, Department of Public Health
El Paso Demographics
Population in 2000 679,622 Hispanic population 78.2%
U.S. Census Bureau
5th largest city in Texas Largest border city in the nation
Cuidad Juarez, Mexico is estimated to be 1.5 million
10th poorest city in the nation Highest uninsured rate in the nation (37%)
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
A Historical Perspective
November 1994– El Paso Tobacco/Smoke Free Coalition presented a
proposed revision of the city ordinance on smoking to El Paso City-County Board of Health.
– Board of Health develops subcommittee to review and revise the proposed ordinance.
March 1995– El Paso City-County Board of Health holds public
hearing.
March 1996– Ordinance is presented to City Council.
– City Council refers ordinance to Legislative Review Committee.
– Ordinance tabled indefinitely.
Lessons Learned from 1996 There were representatives from the El Paso
Restaurant Association in both the El Paso Tobacco/Smoke Free Coalition and on the Health Board subcommittee that worked on the proposed ordinance.
The resulting proposed ordinance was weak– Smoking was prohibited in public places, but in work
places designated smoking areas were allowed.– In restaurants, separate enclosed smoking sections with
their own ventilation system were allowed.– Bars & cocktail lounges were exempt from the
ordinance.
Conditions that Open the Door
Organization & Grassroots Mobilization
Getting Started– Know who to ask for help– Plan for success– Be flexible, diverse and action-oriented– Be aware of the time commitment involved– Educate, educate, educate– Celebrate and share every success
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Contact key agencies for assistance– The Centers for Disease Control– Americans for Nonsmoker’s Rights– State Departments of Health– American Cancer Society– American Heart Association– American Lung Association– Successful neighboring cities or jurisdictions
Before You Can Educate the Public, Educate Yourself!
Conduct research on:– Smoke free ordinances– Second hand smoke facts and statistics– Tobacco industry tactics– Media support of clean indoor air– Your city’s present ordinance– If applicable, revisit previous attempts to pass a smoke
free ordinance and why they failed– City charter– City staff, i.e., City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk– City Council voting records and their term of office– Your opposition
Develop a Plan
Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Plan November 2000
– Identify and Recruit a Clean Air Ordinance Task Force• strategic brainstorming meeting to identify
and recruit core task force members
• Members should be representatives of El Paso encompassing geographic areas, ethnic populations and diverse occupations (key business leaders, educators and health professionals).
Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Plan continued
• Group should be between 10-15 individuals. • Strategic meetings with them regarding city
council members. • Research how each members feels about a
clean indoor air ordinance, who knows the members and how well, and identify who is the best “team” to approach them.
Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Plancontinued
December 2000– Conduct Research
• Research city council reps voting records and their term of office.
• Revisit the core group that had tried to pass the El Paso clean indoor air ordinance before
– why did it fail?
• Identify the shortcomings and develop a strategy to overcome them.
• Find and identify a “Champion” on City Council that will carry the ordinance forward.
• Research other city ordinances and how they obtained passage of their ordinance.
Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Plancontinued
January 2001– Continue research and start heavy recruitment
of former smokers, key business leaders, health educators, and health professionals
• Coalition for A Smoke-Free Paso del Norte contacts their board of directors, volunteers and staff and initiates letter writing campaign to rally the “silent majority.”
Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Plancontinued
February 2001– Develop strategic plan as per CDC and Prevention best
practices to present to City Council. – Continue recruitment of key supporters, including
youth. March 2001
– Visit city reps and commence pro-active media campaign.
• Visits are best to do with a group of three individuals: – a person with a high community profile – a constituent – a coalition member.
• When ready to do city rep visits – develop and take an information packet - local smoking statistics
& other relevant data.
Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Plancontinued
April 2001
– Ordinance written and presented to City Council.
May 2001
– City Council elections June 2001
– City Council votes on ordinance
Recruiting and Building a Base of Support
Inner Core – Leadership, strategic
planning, day-to-day decision making, media contacts, etc.
Committed Activists – Attend public meetings
and rallies, testify, make presentations, phone banking, stuff envelopes, etc.
Active Supporters– Call or write elected
officials, write letters to the editor, etc.
Be Aware of the Time Commitment Involved
Smoke Free El Paso Collaborative Core Member Job Description
Overview
Attributes
Responsibilities
Time Commitment
Training
Be flexible, Diverse and Action-Oriented
As situations occur, timelines change
Be willing to expand leadership group
Continually build membership base
Develop youth tobacco control advocates
Educate, Educate, Educate!
Youth
Community
Media
Policy Makers
Youth Involvement
Recruit youth as tobacco control advocates Provide leadership training for the youth
coalition Empower the youth to set their own goals
– Write persuasive speeches for public hearing– Testify at public hearing– Hold a youth rally in front of City Council
Chambers the day of the vote
Media Designate a spokesperson for your group Develop key speaking points and distribute to
your committed activists– It’s a public health issue– We are not against smokers, we are for clean
indoor air– Smoking is a privilege. When your actions
infringe on the health of others, you lose that privilege.
Be proactive with the media by providing them with background information, facts and statistics
Media
Cultivate a “Media Champion” Be vigilant with media coverage and when
negative press airs or appears in print, be ready to mobilize your group to respond immediately
Conduct a “letters to the editor” campaign Involve youth in media strategy
Community
Encourage committed activists to spread the word at their workplace, church, civic organizations, as well as among friends and families
Keep the issue in the news Keep key players informed of developments
via e-mail, phone or fax Conduct a comprehensive community-wide
petition drive
Getting the Votes
Know the Facts
Educate yourself Lobbying
– Where does my organization stand?– If you can’t directly lobby, include someone
who can– Utilize your rights as a private citizen to write
letters and visit City Council Representatives– Take Time Off
Educate policy makers
Securing a Champion
Talk with all elected officials in an effort to gauge their support of the initiative
Larry Medina, City of El Paso Representative
Provide Policymakers with Educational Materials
Harmful effects of ETS Importance of protecting both patron and
employee health Workplace Health and Safety Codes/ Standards
– Include WORKPLACE/EMPLOYEE health when addressing smoke free ordinances with policy makers. This actually gives them a tool to use when battling with opponents. It becomes their obligation to pass such measures
Recruit bar and wait staff to make rounds with you, testify or write letters
Economic Impact of Ban
Research the economic portion Calm their fears Remain calm: take each “concern” one at a time and
no matter how ridiculous, don’t get exasperated!– A few we ran into in El Paso included:
“Everyone is going to Juarez, Mexico to eat.”
“More people will go to the Tigua Reservation and eat.”
“We will see an increase in the number of people going to the casino across the New Mexico state line.”
Stress the importance of an even playing field
– Needs to be inclusive of bars
– No compromise with ventilation systems
Be Available
Provide point of contact names and numbers for elected officials in case of questions
Be prepared to speak at forums. If necessary appoint lead member(s) for that task
After Passage
Continue to be vigilant regarding a referendum
Continue to thank city council representatives and publicly acknowledge their leadership through letters to the editor, media talk shows, e-mails and personal letters
Since Passage
Trained Law Enforcement Code Enforcement
Ordinance Education Strategies
Determine the target audience – who needs to receive information regarding the ordinance
– Public
– Businesses
– Enforcement Personnel
Ordinance Education Strategies
Brainstorm on how to get the information to the targeted audience
– Media
– Brochures
– Informational sessions
– Mass Mailing
– Utility stuffers
– Telephone hotline
– Informational booths
– Through enforcement personnel
– Etc.
Ordinance Education Strategies
Collaborate with your partners to get the best bang for your buck
– Decide who will do what
– Set a timeline
– Keep track of progress
– Communicate frequently
What worked in El Paso
Educational packets for businesses Mass mailing to businesses One or two people to handle media requests
– standard soundbite One place to call to ask questions Educational sessions for enforcement
personnel
What worked in Socorro
Educational packets for businesses Press conference at City Hall to celebrate
ordinance passage Booth at City Hall during permit renewal
phase (10 days) Door to door visits to those businesses that
didn’t receive packets at City Hall Spot checks of businesses to check for
compliance and answer questions
Enforcement Strategies
Educate enforcement personnel Grace period before issuing citations Educations vs. Enforcement Communication between public health and
other enforcement agencies Encourage the public to complain to
management or call the appropriate enforcement agency at the time smoking is occurring
Lessons Learned Luck and good organization have amazing results! Remain in constant contact with city
representatives Be aware that this is a political process and in turn
the pendulum swings from one extreme to the next Don’t have a “citizen’s committee” write the
ordinance. It is imperative to have a collaborative and unified
approach throughout the campaign. 1 – 2 Weeks of non-stop Calling for
information on the ordinance.
Questions?
Becky Zima
Regional Coordinator
DSHS – Tobacco Prevention and Control
Phone # 915-834-7774
Cell # 915-799-3071
Sue Beatty
Health Education & Training Manager
City of El Paso, Department of Public Health
Phone # 915-771-5853
