Lessons Learned from the Implementation of a

State Clean Indoor Air Law-New York-

Ursula E. Bauer, Ph.D.

Director, Tobacco Control Program

NYS Department of Health

Background

• Comprehensive law passed and signed on March 26, 2003– First NY law enacted in 1989

• Effective July 24, 2003– Four months to plan, collect baseline data, build

support and provide resources, and implement law

Implementation Goals

• Build public support for the law,

• Raise expectations among employers and the public that compliance with the law will be high,

• Provide employers with the information they need to create smokefree environments for their employees and customers.

Implementation Activities

• Countdown events– Generate interest

– Raise expectations

– Build momentum and support

• Media and marketing– inform public of law

– enhance understanding of law, why we have it

– increase support for the law

– raise expectations that compliance will be high

Implementation Activities

• Employer roundtables– Educate employers about

• How to implement the law successfully

• What benefits of the law are

– Put employers at ease with the law, – Increase compliance with the law, – Allay concerns regarding of the law’s impact

on business.

Countdown Events

• Specific activities occurring across state at scheduled times, e.g.– Week of May 19: Celebratory event at smokefree

restaurant or bar, one per catchment area– Week of June 24: Business roundtable discussions and

information sessions– Week of July 10: Community activity

• Paid ad in local newspaper, daily• Radio and TV talk shows• Speaking tours at local events• Distribute branded promotional items

– On July 24: Community celebrations

Implementation Media

• Earned– Editorial board visits

– Cultivating relationships with local reporters• Human interest news stories, with positive slant

– Letters to the editor

• Paid– Legacy ETS print ads

– Community ads

– CDC MCRC ads

BartenderWaitressTake It Outside

Business Roundtables

• Learn more about – the law and how it benefits businesses and employers;– how to implement the law successfully and with the

least disruption to business;– secondhand smoke and the health and legal benefits of

protecting workers from this health risk;

• Participate in building public support for the law, which will enhance compliance; and

• Meet other business owners and community members who share your concerns.

Implementation Toolkit• Distributed via e-mail and on CD• Toolkit and implementation trainings held for

partners

Toolkit Contents• Required Partner Actions, instructions and text

of law – Countdown and other partner activities including

instructions for hosting five required count down events and community business round table discussions

• Informational materials: fact sheets, brochures, Frequently Asked Questions (and answers)

• Recommended media messages, a timeline for broadcasting, and a menu of available promotional items (“gear”)

• Mailing lists for local employers and partners

Toolkit Contents

• Miscellaneous information, including – Contact information for county health

departments and district health offices, where violations can be referred,

– Partner activity tracking form to document clean indoor air-related activities

– Relevant web sites

Evaluation

• Public support for law– Favor law– Prefer smokefree environments– Will go out more

• Level of compliance with law– Reports of violations– Observations– Air monitoring

Evaluation

• Economic impact– Sales tax revenue– Employment figures– Liquor licenses

• Health impact– Exposure to SHS– Symptoms associated with SHS among workers– Diseases associated with SHS

Lessons Learned

• It’s never too early to collect baseline data• You always have to make the case for

– Dangers of secondhand smoke– Worker protection– Lack of economic impact

• Local data are more compelling than other data• It’s a public relations battle

– Must be aggressively joined– Will be won on the editorial pages and through other

media

Lessons Learned

• Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty (Wendall Phillips, 1852)