Six Months Before Implementation
With six months to prepare, there are a number of things you can do to plan for implementation. Even if your smoke-free law hasn't passed yet, appoint an implementation subcommittee of your smoke-free coalition or another group or person to begin planning for implementation before final passage.
It is generally (but not always) the responsibility of the state or local health department to implement and enforce a smoke-free law. A smoke-free coalition or voluntary health agency can ensure that the official enforcement agency is able and willing to do its job, identify the specific person(s) within the agency responsible for each aspect of education and enforcement, and support implementation with media advocacy and public education.
Public Education: Welcoming the new law
-
Establish a smoke-free Web site with an easy-to-remember name (E.g.: SecondHandSmokesYou.com and SmokeFreeColorado.org ).
-
Websites are clearinghouses for information, fast and easy to update, and accessible. Be sure to include a media newsroom, complete with photos and news articles on the upcoming law. As implementation draws nearer, public relations and educational materials can drive the media, businesses and the public to the new Web site for detailed information. In addition, include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that you anticipate from business owners, employees and patrons.
-
-
Set up an implementation budget. Determine what, if any, money you will have available for implementation and how much you will need.
-
If you have a large enough budget, identify an experienced public relations firm to assist with media advocacy and education. If you plan to use paid advertising, identify the advertising agency you will use. If you do not have enough money available for implementation, consider asking foundations or other potential funders for donations to increase your implementation budget.
-
-
Identify needs of businesses and the public. If time and budget permit, survey bar and restaurant owners and other target audience members to help to determine what kind of assistance they need and identify potential problem areas.
Business Education: Laying the groundwork
-
Identify the legal requirements for no smoking signs under the new law (including any outdoor nonsmoking “buffer zones”) and determine how you will obtain or produce “No Smoking” signs, business decals, and/or stickers. [Download a sample sign you can customize and reproduce]
-
Compile a list of places of employment in the community. Potential sources are the Secretary of State's office or Chamber of Commerce.
-
Identify potential allies. Get a list of restaurants and bars that are already smoke-free to identify potential allies and spokespersons who have successfully implemented smoke-free policies.
-
Develop an implementation toolkit for the local Chamber of Commerce, restaurant association, or other business groups. Develop a PowerPoint presentation for the same audiences.
-
Talk up the new law and encourage others to do the same. Let business owners know you're actively supporting the new law.
-
Hold informational events on the upcoming smoke-free law. Invite a supportive business owner to speak on the benefits to employee and business health. Then, follow up with a brief breakdown on the law, enforcement and violations. Be sure to leave plenty of time for questions and answers.
Evaluation
More and more communities are evaluating the impact their new smoke-free law has on health and business, as well as public support and compliance.
Such evaluations help ensure the law is having its intended benefits; support continued education about the law's health and economic benefits through media advocacy; and counter opponents' efforts to undermine public support for the law.
There is always a need for “fresh off the presses” evidence to assist those who are not yet protected by a strong, 100 percent smoke-free indoor air law.
View Economic Impact of Smoke-free Policies on Restaurants and Bars, a presentation delivered Andrew Hyland, Roswell Park Cancer Institute for more information.
-
Consider what types of evaluation you want to conduct after your smoke-free law goes into effect. Air quality tests and public opinion surveys, in particular, have proved to be efficient uses of resources to demonstrate the benefits of and support for smoke-free laws. Identify your reasons for studying various aspects of the new law's impact (media advocacy, feedback to policy makers, etc.) and determine what, if any, money is available. Some key questions to consider include:
-
Is there enough money available to hire an outside research/statistical consultant to conduct economic impact, public opinion, air quality or other studies? Review these online resources for more discussion evaluating air quality.
-
Do you have access to other expertise for public opinion survey design and analysis?
-
Identify contact person(s) within the health department (or other agencies) responsible for tracking the data needed to assess the impact of the new law on:
-
Compliance (complaints, enforcement letters, etc.)
-
Popularity of and support for the law
-
If you choose to conduct certain evaluation studies, some data needs to be collected before the new law goes into effect in order to make effective comparisons after it takes effect. These include:
-
Baseline data on indoor air quality to demonstrate improvements following the new law's effective date. Borrow, rent or buy equipment and software to test air quality before implementation day to provide baseline data for future air quality studies. Visit TobaccoFreeAir.com and these online resources for more information.
-
Baseline data on hospitality workers' health, which can be obtained using self-collected, mailed-in saliva cotinine specimens plus a telephone survey assessing secondhand smoke exposure and related symptoms.
-
Data on cotinine in urine combined with personal interviews, which is another way to measure impact on workers' health.
-
Does the community have access to an Institutional Review Board (IRB)? An IRB is a group made up of researchers and others that reviews a research plan to ensure that it protects study participants. If you plan to conduct random sample surveys, or employee health studies that require urine/saliva samples, begin the process of obtaining IRB approval.
See what you need to do three months before implementation
