Strategies to Promote Political Climate

The influence of the political process and politics on smoke-free policy development including the positions of the Mayor (major city), City Attorney (major city), County Judge Executive (or head of county legislative body), and County Attorney.

For Smoke-free Products, click on the strategy headings below.

Inform and Connect the Coalition

• Identify and inform legislative champions including local legal resources (e.g. city/county attorney or other local attorneys)
• Identify and recruit key influentials to the coalition (those who can influence policymakers such as bank CEOs, business or civic leaders)
• Get informed about the legislative processes for the target community
• Identify tobacco control positions of elected officials via policymaker assessments and other tools

Identify and Mobilize the Community

• Identify your target community (e.g., specific city or entire county to focus your smoke-free policy goals)
• Partner with local legal resources
• Collect resolutions from key community groups supporting smoke-free policy

Inform and Educate Policymakers

Throughout the campaign...

• Distill the science in ways policymakers can hear and understand
• Share evidence of support for smoke-free policy with local leaders and officials (resolutions from local organizations and petitions from advocates)

Later in the campaign...

• Work with governmental body to see that a comprehensive ordinance is drafted and sent for legal review
• Provide testimony at formal governmental hearings and mobilize coalition to use those opportunities to support smoke-free policy covering all workers
• Create 'hero opportunities' for your legislative champions and ask organizations to give awards to policymakers and government bodies that enact 100% smoke-free policies
• Recommend changes in the legislation to strengthen, if needed, and restart process