Smoke-Free Latino Businesses in Indiana from Outreach to Policy Change

Audience: Individuals at all levels of tobacco control experience from a community can develop, implement and maintain a smoke-free businesses to protect workers from second hand smoke and engage them in policy development. Key Points: • Target businesses by reviewing newspapers, driving in the neighborhoods, listening to the radio • Visit and educate the owners, employees, and thus build relationships • Interact in person to build rapport as opposed to telephone call • Create a committee of concerned community members • Develop policy to implement • Award businesses with plaque that went smoke-free • Provide media visibility Press releases provided visibility and were shared to bring other owners onboard. Newspapers took pictures of the owners receiving their certificates and putting the signs on their windows. Stories were published in local newspapers. ILI provided educational materials, small incentives, press releases, framed certificates and sample policy to the businesses. They followed-up and sent patrons to those went smoke-free. Smoke- free business owners signed a pledge and a letter that was published in the major newspapers. These letters were used when advocates visited legislators. Some business owners testified before city councils. Since 2003, 242 Latino businesses went smoke-free and gained political power before city and state legislators. Educational Experience: Audience will learn the key points with discussions, examples and sample copies of materials and will be able to apply them in their work. Benefits: Audience will learn a mechanism for engagement of businesses in policy development and maintenance.