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Case Studies

Local Comprehensive Clean Indoor Air Ordinance in Texas

Timeline

Planning

• 1994 Tabaco/Smoke-Free El Paso Coalition formed.
• 1994–1996 First attempt to strengthen El Paso’s smoking ordinance.
• January 2000 Paso del Norte Health Foundation provides local American Cancer Society with 4-year grant to support comprehensive tobacco control project.
• April 2000 Coalition reorganizes as the Smoke-Free Paso del Norte Coalition.
• August 2000 Two coalition members attend the CDC Summer Institute course on Clean Indoor Air.
• September 2000 El Paso City/County Health and Environmental District announces intention to consider revisions to the El Paso smoking ordinance in October. Coalition prevails upon Health and Environmental District to slow down process.
• November 2000 Coalition meets with health and environmental district to discuss timeline. Coalition forms ordinance task force, begins recruiting members to the task force. Health and environmental district votes to draft an ordinance.
• December 2000 Task force divides into subcommittees to begin researching the issues and developing a campaign plan.

Implementation

• January 2001 Health and environmental district drafts ordinance, drawn from the ANR model ordinance.
• January 2001 Coalition begins grassroots organizing to educate and recruit individuals and organizations to support the ordinance effort.
• January 2001 Letter writing campaign begun.
• March 2001 Coalition begins meeting with city council members to gauge interest and educate. Teams comprised of a task force member, a constituent, and a person with influence with the council member.
• March 26, 2001 Ordinance task force members attend ANR "Back to Basics" local ordinance training.
• April 2, 2001 El Paso City/County Health and Environmental District holds public hearing on the ordinance. Council member Larry Medina, eventual champion on the council, attends that hearing. Ordinance is passed and sent to the city council for consideration.
• April 26, 2001 Ordinance task force attends Lawrence Banegas training on "Mobilizing the Community."
• April 2001 El Paso Times and KVIA (ABC-affiliate) release poll results showing strong support for the ordinance.
• April 2001 Ordinance is presented to the council; Councilman Medina emerges as the ordinance champion.
• May 2001 City council elections held. Coalition members, including youth representatives, attend candidate forums.
• May 31, 2001 Run-off election held.
• June 18–26, 2001 Educational secondhand smoke TV ad airs.
• June 23, 2001 Print ad run in El Paso Times the Saturday before the council vote
• June 26, 2001 City council passes ordinance, 7 to 1. Youth rally held before the hearing.
• July–August 2001 Coalition asks supporters to send letters to the editor and personal letters thanking the council for passing the ordinance.
• September 2001 Bars circulate petitions in an unsuccessful attempt to force a referendum on the ordinance.
• November–December 2001 Coalition collaborates with the health and environmental district to send an educational mailing to 18,000 El Paso businesses (mailed December 15, 2001).
• January 2, 2002 Ordinance goes into effect.

Evaluation

• February 2002 El Paso Times/KVIA release follow-up poll.
• December 2002 Paso del Norte Health Foundation conducts poll.
• March 17, 2003 Mayor Caballero holds press conference to release results of economic impact analysis.

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