Case Studies
Local Comprehensive Clean Indoor Air Ordinance in Georgia
Lessons Learned
What were the important elements to the intervention's
success?
The ACS and the local public health district provided the infrastructure
to support the coalition’s activities. The two organizations had a mutual
understanding of their roles; the local public health district had the
resources to gather information, provide technical support and educate, but
couldn’t lobby. The ACS, and the individual coalition volunteers, could
organize/activate grassroots support and lobby.
The coalition was diverse in its membership. Coalition supporters
represented the demographics of Albany, and included partners outside the
usual health-focused organizations (e.g., youth, the faith community,
supportive restaurants). The coalition coordinator was an African American
woman with deep roots in Albany.
The coalition had several dedicated volunteers. It also had energetic and
committed coordinator, who was a remarkably effective grassroots organizer.
The coalition worked with key city staff members, including the building
inspector charged with enforcing the ordinance, and the city attorney. These
staff were key to the successful implementation and enforcement of the
ordinance. City staff also helped the coalition keep their “ear to the
ground”, alerting the coalition to important developments on the city
commission.
Describe the policy and/or program interventions
applicability/replicability to other sites, and include recommendations for
other sites.
The Albany Coalition’s efforts are relevant to other communities
interested in working on local clean indoor air ordinances. Although the
bulk of the coalition’s activities were organized in defense of their
ordinance, these types of events and activities also would be effective in
organizing to pass an ordinance.
The Albany Coalition is a good model for coalitions wanting to create a
diverse, inclusive membership. Coalition leadership included people of
color, and activities (e.g., the Black History month event and the MLK, Jr.
march and candlelight vigil,) and framed tobacco issues that were relevant
to the African American community. The Coalition engaged African American
leadership in the faith community and in the medical community.
Describe the challenges faced, and below each challenge,
describe any solutions used to correct or reduce the problem.
Challenge: Responding to business claims that the ordinance would hurt
restaurant revenues. Because of the way the state collects tax revenues,
advocates could not conduct local analysis of restaurant revenues before and
after the ordinance went into effect.
Solutions: Referred to economic impact studies done elsewhere, all of
which have found no negative effect on restaurant sales after adopting a
smokefree ordinance.
What would you have done differently?
Spent more time developing a grassroots network of supporters before strengthening the ordinance in 1998. One of the coalition volunteers described their efforts as “a constant rear-guard action”, noting that “you can either organize up front to pass the ordinance, or after the fact once it’s been passed to protect it, but you have to organize.” He recommends using the planning and organizing model presented in the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights publication “Clearing the Air”.
Lessons Learned Notes
N/A
Page last modified 07/25/2007
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