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Promoting Smoke-Free San Antonio: Empowering Latino Communities

Achieving a smoke-free San Antonio through community leadership, coalition building, and policy change. Engaging Latino communities in tobacco control as a social justice issue by addressing health, economic, and worker impacts.

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Promoting Smoke-Free San Antonio: Empowering Latino Communities

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  1. PromoviendoBienestarparaFamilias y Comunidad con Conocimiento, Confianza, y PoderPromoting Family and Community Well-Being through Knowledge, Trust, and Empowerment Achieving Smoke-Free San Antonio Through Community Leadership, Coalition and Policy Change 1313 Guadalupe Street, Suite 207 San Antonio, Texas 78207 www.lafepolicycenter.org

  2. Problem Addressed • San Antonio, which is 63% Latino and the second largest city in Texas, did not have a citywide smoke-free ordinance as of January 2010. • The National Latino Tobacco Control Network (NLTCN) identified and provided technical assistance to La Fe Policy Research and Education Center (La Fe PREC).

  3. Fundamental Outreach and Capacity Problems • Lack of effective outreach, education and collaborative efforts by existing smoke-free coalitions targeting the local Latino community, • Lack of organized Latino tobacco prevention advocacy efforts inclusive of attention to smoke-free efforts, and • Inadequate descriptions of Latino smoking prevalence and/or policy recommendations relevant to tobacco’s impact on Latinos.

  4. Description of Innovative Activity • Engaging Latino communities in tobacco control requires framing the issue of clean indoor air as a social justice issue. Latinos have other serious issues affecting their community; poverty, employment, education, housing, immigration and lack of health insurance. • Key Strategy Components – organizing, policy leadership training, applied policy research , advocacy, and communications (internal network and media).

  5. Steps to Social Justice and Worker Rights • Second-Hand Smoke Impact on Workers by Industry, Income and Race/Ethnicity • Created an Issue Brief: Health, Economic and Worker Impacts • Organized a Collaborative Latino Coalition • Promote Latino Tobacco Prevention Leadership • Support Grass-Roots Community Engagement • Promoted a Letter Writing Campaign • Earned Media Coverage • Meetings with City Council Members and Testimony • Addressing the Opposition

  6. Key Stakeholders and Partners • Community Health Centers • Community health workers • Hispanic Nurses Association • La Fe Policy Research and Education Center • Mayor of San Antonio • Mexican American Hispanic Physicians Association (MAHPA)

  7. Key Stakeholders and Partners (con’t) • National Latino Tobacco Control Network (NLTCN) • Neighborhoods First Alliance • Pro bono media and public relations firm • San Antonio City Council members • San Antonio Department of Health • Smoke-Free San Antonio Coalition • Smoke-Free Texas • Texas State Department of Health

  8. Latino Engagement • Coalitions and Networks for Tobacco Control and Prevention must ensure that tobacco control efforts at the local and state levels include Latinos from grassroots to professionals.

  9. Some Lessons Learned • Local Latino and minority groups should be engaged consistently in a sustained and systematic way. • Community-based service providers have local relationships with policy makers that are critical to the success of tobacco control efforts. • Local health departments and smoke-free coalitions need to reach out to community-based groups, provide training and support them. • The tobacco industry has been funding community-based events to gain their loyalty.

  10. Some Lessons Learned (con’t) • Publicly attacking national Latino and or minority organizations for speaking against smoke-free efforts is counterproductive. • Latino and other minority voices have to be at the table from the beginning, including setting the agenda, discussing strategies and participating in decision making. • Community based organizations must also receive funding for education and advocacy.

  11. Evaluation Outcome Measures • Number educated on issue • Number of Latinos representing Latino organizations who participated in coalition meetings • Number of specific materials that were developed • Number of Op-Eds in English and Spanish that were written or published • Number of interviews n the Spanish/English TV media • Number of Latinos from Latino groups who testified before City Council • Number of letters written to public officials • Number of public officials who supported the policy changes

  12. Supporters of San Antonio’s landmark smoke-free ordinance included Mayor Julian Castro (center).

  13. Summary of Revised City of San Antonio Smoking OrdinanceEffective Date: August 19, 2011 Where is smoking newly prohibited Outdoor Spaces San Antonio Zoo facilities/grounds All outdoor sports arenas, stadiums and amphitheaters All pavilions and playgrounds in city-owned parks Within 20 feet of all outdoor public transportation stations, platforms and shelters under city authority Indoor/Enclosed Spaces: • Bars • Billiard Halls • Bingo Facilities • Comedy Clubs • Gaming facilities • Restaurants, except outdoor seating designated as smoking sections • Places of employment

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