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Tobacco-Free Parks in Minnesota: A Success Story

Tobacco-Free Parks in Minnesota: A Success Story. Brittany McFadden , Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Christina Thill , Minnesota Department of Health 2005 National Conference on Tobacco or Health Chicago, Illinois May 6, 2005. Objectives.

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Tobacco-Free Parks in Minnesota: A Success Story

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  1. Tobacco-Free Parks in Minnesota: A Success Story Brittany McFadden, Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Christina Thill, Minnesota Department of Health 2005 National Conference on Tobacco or Health Chicago, Illinois May 6, 2005

  2. Objectives • Learn successful strategies for adopting tobacco-free policies for park and recreational areas • Gain a better understanding of the steps taken in 62 Minnesota communities that led to the adoption of tobacco-free park policies

  3. Evidence Supporting Our Recommendations • The Surgeon General’s Report (1994) and CDC recommend that communities adopt smoke-free policies as a strategy to prevent youth smoking • MDH supports locally driven efforts to create tobacco-free environments and change community norms • These are important strategies for decreasing youth smoking rates

  4. Park Policies Lay the Foundation for Future Local Policy Work • Build relationships with policy makers • Engage community members in policy discussions • Build momentum for worksite ordinances • Change community norms

  5. Overview • MDH awarded a Statewide grant to the Association for Nonsmokers—Minnesota for Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation (TFYR) to work with youth recreation organizations to adopt policies restricting tobacco use

  6. TFYR Overview • Currently, MDH funds TFYR to provide technical assistance and materials to MDH grantees and other advocates working on tobacco-free park and recreation policy initiatives in Minnesota • TFYR develops and maintains partnerships with statewide recreation organizations to build support for outdoor tobacco-free environments

  7. Minnesota: A State for Recreation • There are 72 state parks and several National Parks • 8.5 million visitors a year • 12,000 lakes • One boat for every six residents • Over 450 golf courses • 15,000 miles of snowmobile trails

  8. TFYR’s Initial Focus(2000-2002) • Original grant funding focused on youth prevention (2000 – 2003) • Created prevention materials such as pledges, posters, and fact sheets • Policy activities focused on teams, clubs, and individual sports associations • Collected sample city park policies from around the nation • A few city park systems adopted policies that covered youth events or activities

  9. TFYR’s Initial Focus(2002-2003) • In late 2002, developed “Playing Tobacco Free” policy advocacy handbook for tobacco control advocates • First nearly all-inclusive city park policy was New Brighton in May 2003; Plymouth’s became the standard in October 2003.

  10. TFYR’s Current Focus(2004-2005) • Policy activities focus on making entire city park systems tobacco free • Current focus on technical assistance

  11. TFYR’s Technical Assistance Role • Minnesota experts on tobacco-free park policies • MDH grantees, local community health agencies, and youth groups are working on tobacco-free park policies in their communities • TFYR mobilizes grantees if TFYR is approached by a city; otherwise the grantee selects the city with TFYR’s assistance

  12. TFYR’s Technical Assistance Role • Trains grantees; then assists the grantee in training their coalition • After training, provides regular advice and assistance via email, phone, meetings • Attends policy makers’ meetings to provide support and answer difficult questions • Assists with publicity ideas, media calls, etc. • Provides up to 100 metal tobacco-free signs per community • Creates all other necessary materials for policy initiatives

  13. Why are communities working on park policies? • Help change social norms about tobacco use • Ensure that participants and spectators are not exposed to secondhand smoke • Promote positive role modeling • Involve youth and community members in advocacy • Reduce harmful cigarette litter

  14. Implications of Tobacco Use at Recreational Activities • People can be exposed to secondhand smoke levels that can be as high as those found indoors • Often a nuisance and safety concern • Risk of infants/toddlers ingesting cigarette butts • Significant litter burden • Since recreational activities become places where young people develop attitudes and make lifestyle choices, adults involved in these activities are role models in the eyes of youth and influence youth by the example they set • Tobacco use is promoted to youth as acceptable when it is used by these role models in any recreational setting

  15. Cigarette Litter: A Key Concern • Discarded cigarettes: • Pollute the land and water • Risk of ingestion by toddlers, pets, fish, and birds • Diminishes beauty of parks and beaches • Require add’l expenses to clean up • Cigarettes were #1 source of litter on MN beaches during the 2003 Coastal Cleanup • 5,960 cigarettes • 50% of total items collected (34% = int’l avg.) • www.coastalcleanup.org • City officials interested in reducing park litter

  16. Minnesotans support tobacco-free park policies • Tobacco-Free Park & Recreation Study carried out by the University of Minnesota in summer of 2004 • Survey mailed to 2,400 adults from metro and greater MN • 1,500 surveys returned • Results: • 70% of Minnesota adults support tobacco-free park and recreation areas • 66% of golfers support these policies • 73% of families with children support these policies

  17. Types of Policy Initiatives • School grounds/recreational facilities • City- or county-owned outdoor recreational areas • Parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, beaches, etc. • Some MN policies cover only youth events • Recent MN trend is toward “all property” policies for city- and county-owned park areas

  18. TFYR’s Policy Advocacy Handbook • Developed in 2002 • Focuses on park policies • Available online: • www.ansrmn.org/TFYR03Resources.htm

  19. Mobilize Your Partnership(Steps 1-2) • Assess your group’s readiness • Attend TFYR’s policy initiative training • Youth training packet

  20. Involving Youth Advocates • Hands-on project that usually gets positive results • Youth are natural advocates since they are the regular park users • Youth gain experience in local government and public speaking • Opportunity to gain volunteer hours/improve college applications

  21. Assess the Community(Steps 3-6) • Determine who makes the decisions • Inventory the community’s recreational facilities • Gauge community support • Develop your policy request

  22. Build Policy Support(Steps 7-10) • Ask community members to support your policy request • Brochures • Sample letters of support & petitions • TFYR portable display • Collect cigarette butts as evidence • Capitalize on media advocacy • Find a champion from the Park & Rec staff • Hold informal discussions with policy makers

  23. Assist with Policy Adoption(Steps 11-16) • Get on the agenda of Park Board or City Council meeting • Plan your presentation & prepare speakers • TFYR powerpoint • Policy Maker’s Guide • Present policy request and evidence • Assist in policy development • Continue building support • Attend remaining public hearings

  24. Life after Policy Adoption(Steps 17-18) • Assist with policy implementation • Tobacco-free park signs • Policy publicity packet • Thank you postcards • Look for opportunities to promote the tobacco-free message

  25. TFYR Publicity Materials • Signs • Ads • Display • Postcards • Banners • Pledges • Posters

  26. TFYR Successes • 62 policies in five years! • Created a domino effect • Signs are becoming recognizable from city to city • More cities are considering policies • Unique niche of policy work

  27. Minnesota Cities with Tobacco-Free Park Policies January 2003

  28. Minnesota Cities with Tobacco-Free Park Policies February 2004

  29. Minnesota Cities with Tobacco-Free Park Policies May 2005

  30. Current Policy Trends • Twice as many greater MN cities have policies, but greater % of metro policies are stronger • Most MN policies cover all or nearly all park property • Two metro cities have included golf courses • Beaches, athletic fields, trails, playgrounds, etc.

  31. U of MN Tobacco-Free Park & Recreation Study Minnesota park directors’ observations after implementing policies: • 88% reported no change in park usage (no loss of park users) • 71% reported less smoking in parks • 58% reported cleaner park areas

  32. U of MN Tobacco-Free Park & Recreation Study • Communities without policies have enforcement concerns Of the MN Park Directors surveyed: • 73% concerned about whether there should be penalties • 90% concerned about enforcement • 49% concerned with lack public of interest

  33. U of MN Tobacco-Free Park & Recreation Study • Enforcement concerns are unfounded where policies are in place Of the MN Park Directors surveyed: • 26% reported compliance issues • 24% reported staff concerns about enforcement • 39% reported difficulty monitoring areas covered by the policy

  34. Lessons Learned:Statewide Perspective • Justifying outdoor policy work is difficult • Need more research on the effects of secondhand smoke outdoors • Evaluation is key (U of MN survey) • Lack support from some statewide partners • Lack of policy advocacy knowledge at the local level • Continued funding is always a concern

  35. Lessons Learned from Local Advocates • Community organizing is hard work! • Community coalition members are essential • Gather support before getting on agenda • Community politics play an important role • Find a champion inside City Hall • Know how the policy makers will vote • Entire process can take from 3 to 12 months • Policies do not always pass easily, but you can make a difference through tobacco-free parks

  36. Playing Tobacco Free in Anoka County • Current local MDH grantee • Locally driven effort to create tobacco-free environments to reduce youth tobacco use.

  37. 4th most populated county in Minnesota Located in the northern part of the Twin Cities metro area From 1990 to 2000, Anoka County grew almost twice as fast as the rest of Minnesota Home to the National Sports Center Anoka County Demographics

  38. Survey data of Anoka County 6th graders indicate that youth perceive that most adults use tobacco products. 53% of 6th grade respondents indicated that they believe “most or almost all adults use tobacco products”(Anoka County CHES, 2001, 2002) Focus on Tobacco-free Environments

  39. Smoking by youth and adults and secondhand smoke were identified as major community health problems, according to Anoka County’s community assessment Focus on Tobacco-free Environments

  40. Community Organizing Efforts • County divided into five regions • Key Partners were identified in each region to lead efforts • Funding allocated to regions • TFYR provided technical expertise in coordination with Anoka County Community Health Department

  41. Community Organizing Efforts • Key Partners include community-based organizations that are: • Willing to reinforce the message that youth tobacco use is unhealthy and secondhand smoke is harmful • Willing to bring together community partners, including individuals and organizations, to advocate for tobacco-free park policies • Initiative supports Key Partners with technical assistance and resources in each community’s efforts to advocate for and implement city tobacco-free park policies • Key Partner meetings held quarterly to provide training and networking

  42. Youth Involvement • Training • Effective messengers • Cigarette litter collections • Letters of support • Energy

  43. Advocacy Resources Provides Consistent Key Messages

  44. Individual Policy Efforts • Coon Rapids • Anoka • Ramsey • Andover

  45. First Steps • Work with Key Partner to identify and recruit other coalition members • Coon Rapids Youth Soccer Assn • Andover Anoka Ramsey Youth First • Ramsey Police Department • Andover Area Lacrosse Assn • Coalition develops policy request • Youth collect cigarette litter • Attempt to discuss idea with park director • Collect letters of support

  46. Policy Adoption Process • Community presentations to policy makers • Park Boards • City Council workshops • City Council meetings • Stay informed as to agenda and meeting changes • Prepare speakers ahead of time and practice prior to the meeting • How far are you willing to compromise your policy request?

  47. Example Policy • Policy States: “The City of Ramsey does not allow the use of tobacco products on city-owned parkland, park facilities, open space or joint city/school district properties except within the confines of a vehicle in a designated parking area.”

  48. Playing Tobacco Free In Anoka County • In nine months, four communities adopted tobacco-free park policies • 170 individuals and organizations from across Anoka County became involved in tobacco-free advocacy efforts • Youth have made positive changes in their communities through leadership on coalitions • Unique media campaign has been utilized by local coalitions to educate the community and promote tobacco-free policies

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