Involving Youth in Tobacco-Free Park Policy Initiatives

1. Involving Youth in Tobacco-Free Park Policy Initiatives Brittany McFadden Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation program, Association for NonSmokers—Minnesota 2005 National Conference on Tobacco or Health Chicago, Illinois May 6, 2005

2. Co-Authors Paula Anderson, Nobles-Rock Public Health Service Katie Engman, Ramsey Tobacco Coalition Rachel Hilyar, Anoka County Community Health LeeAnn Mortensen, Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council

3. Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Overview • Minnesota-based statewide program of the Association for Nonsmokers—Minnesota • Funded by MN Dept. of Health to provide training, technical assistance, and materials to local MDH grantees and other advocates working on tobacco-free park and recreation policy initiatives in Minnesota

4. 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

5. Tobacco-FreePark & Recreation Policies City or county-owned outdoor park and 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

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

7. 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

8. Involving Youth Advocates • Hands-on project that usually produces a favorable policy outcome • Youth are natural advocates since they are regular park users and want to make their voice heard • Youth gain experience in local government, public speaking, and policy discussions • Opportunity to gain volunteer hours or improve college applications • Youth are often the focus of policy media coverage

9. Sample Media Coverage

10. Sample Media Coverage

11. Sample Media Coverage

12. Recruiting Youth Advocates • Consider age and experience with tobacco prevention activities • Utilize existing youth groups • School tobacco prevention groups • Youth centers • Sports teams • Youth you are currently working with • Work through school contacts • Nurses • Teachers • Counselors

13. TFYR’s Policy Advocacy Handbook • Guide for tobacco control advocates • Focuses on park policies • Available online: www.ansrmn.org/TFYR03Resources.htm

14. TFYR’s Youth Advocacy Training Packet • Developed as companion to adult advocacy handbook • Focuses on park policies • Worksheets allow youth to record their ideas

15. TFYR Policy Initiative Process Mobilize Your Partnership Step 1: Assess your Readiness Step 2: Attend TFYR’s Policy Initiative Training

16. TFYR Policy Initiative Process Assess the Community Step 3: Find out Who Makes the Decisions Step 4: Find out the Facts about Community Parks Step 5: Gauge Community Support Step 6: Develop your Policy Request

17. Youth Activities for Assessing the Community • Completed the “Recreational Facility Inventory” • Determined who the key policy makers were • Generated a list of potential supporters (PTA, teachers, coaches, neighbors, athletic clubs, etc.) • Surveyed community members • Paper survey in schools • “Beads in the Jar” surveys at events • Created policy request

18. TFYR Policy Initiative Process Build Policy Support Step 7: Ask Community Members to Support your Policy Request Step 8: Utilize the Media to Advocate for your Policy Request Step 9: Find a Champion from Within Step 10: Hold Informal Discussions with Policy Makers

19. Youth Activities for Building Policy Support • Contacted potential supporters, explained policy request, and asked them to support it by: • Signing a petition • Writing a letter • Attending the Park Board or City Council meeting • Collected cigarette litter in local parks to use as evidence to the park board or council explaining the dangers of secondhand smoke and cigarette litter. • Met with Park Director or other city staff to learn about the policy adoption process

20. Collecting Cigarette Litter!

21. TFYR Policy Initiative Process Assist with Policy Adoption Step 11: Get on the Agenda of Park Board or City Council Meeting Step 12: Plan your Presentation Step 13: Make the Presentation Count Step 14: Assist in Policy Development Step 15: Continue Building Support Step 16: Attend Remaining Public Hearings

22. Youth Activities for Assisting with Policy Adoption • Planned, practiced, and presented information: • Speaking roles • Handouts (TFYR’s Policy Maker’s Guide) • Cigarette butts • Sample tobacco-free signs • Potential questions from policy makers (mock meeting) • Continued to collect community support: • Letters of support • Recruited supporters to attend upcoming vote

23. Policy Initiative Process Life after Policy Adoption Step 17: Assist with Policy Implementation Step 18: Look for Opportunities to Promote the Tobacco-Free Message • TFYR’s Policy Publicity Packet

24. Youth Activities for Policy Promotion • Offered to help post the signs in the park areas • Presented recognition certificates to policy makers • Sent thank you notes or postcards to policy makers • Placed educational articles and advertisements in local/school newspapers • Distributed cards or bookmarks describing the policy at community events • Marched in a community parade with a banner • Participated in community cable show

25. Slice of Shoreview Parade

26. Customized Ads

27. Thank You Postcard

28. Lessons Learned from Local Advocates • Youth are busy; keeping them engaged can be difficult • Start initiative at beginning of school year • Small group of energetic youth works well • Community supporters attendance at the Park Board and City Council meetings is essential • Take time to practice the presentation in a “mock meeting” setting • Local politics and timing play an important role • Find a champion inside City Hall • Entire process can take from 3 to 12 months

29. “I'm so glad that I chose to be in the Ramsey Tobacco Coalition! It makes people proud of me, and there have not been many times that people have been proud of me. I'm also proud of myself .” --Youth Member, Ramsey Tobacco Coalition

30. Contact Information Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Brittany McFadden Association for Nonsmokers-MN 2395 University Ave West, Suite 310 St. Paul, MN 55114-1512 (651) 646-3005; bhm@ansrmn.org www.ansrmn.org