Key Points: Passing local smoke-free workplace ordinances requires funding, community organizing, media advocacy, involvement of local and state partners, and dedicated staff working full-time on the effort.

Three local Minnesota coalitions learned valuable lessons as they laid the groundwork for local smoke-free ordinance campaigns over the past three years.

Approaches to passing local smoke-free ordinances have varied across Minnesota. These approaches include having a local public health department versus a local health care system as a leader; building grassroots support; phone banking in rural communities; using a website to build support; determining vote counts; involving state and local partners; and leveraging additional funds.

In 2004, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) funded twenty-one grants to increase tobacco-free environments in Minnesota. Grantees worked on both public and private smoke-free policies. MDH faced its own challenges with funding local smoke-free ordinance work during the three years.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how three coalitions in central Minnesota organized very different smoke-free workplace campaigns.

2. Gain a better understanding of lessons learned from local smoke-free workplace policy campaigns including community assessment, coalition building, media campaigns and policy advocacy.

3. Understand the unique strategies used by both proponents and opponents in communities with populations ranging from 6,000 to 60,000.

Benefits:

The smoke-free ordinance lessons learned from central Minnesota coalitions will assist other communities who are embarking on local campaigns.

Successes, obstacles faced, and setbacks in working toward local smoke-free policy efforts will be discussed.