Take Action on World No Tobacco Day

Have you heard the theme for this year's World No Tobacco Day? It's "Smokefree Environments."

It's coming up on Thursday, May 31st. What a great opportunity to generate earned media to tie your local smokefree efforts into this truly global event and to get people involved. People have to breathe everywhere.  A variety of 2007 WNTD materials are available at: http://www.who.int/tobacco/communications/events/wntd/2007/en/index.html .

Here are some ideas for the day:

• Send a letter to the editor of your local paper. Talk about the problem of secondhand smoke in your community and what needs to be done to address it.
• Have you recently enacted a smokefree law? Now is your chance to highlight the positive health benefits it has brought to people's lives. Encourage workers and patrons to write letters to the editor, too, sharing their positive experiences with the new law.
• Organize a fun local event. HCSIA in Houston organized a successful smokefree walk last year (good tie-in to community wellness). Other groups have organized smokefree music shows, smokefree lunchtime events, press conferences, youth activism events, etc. 
• Ask community partners to be part of World No Tobacco Day and get the word out about smokefree air.  For example, faith community partners could promote Smokefree Sunday Sermons or other appropriate activities. Hospitals and supportive businesses could do something special to recognize the day, such as paying for a newspaper ad, going smokefree, putting up special signs in their windows, or even a lunchtime special. 
• Local media can prepare editorials about worker health. 
• Cities and membership associations can enact resolutions in recognition of the day
• Lawmakers can renew support for smokefree ordinances
• Release new air quality data
• Pitch a feature story on a worker exposed to smoke (don't forget to plan for follow up letters to the editor).
• Conduct a poll on smokefree air and release the results on May 31st!
• Adopt a smokefree city meeting policy
• Hand out bumper stickers and lapel pins on WNTD!
• Renew your membership to a local or national tobacco prevention program.
• What other ideas do folks have? Please share them!

If you are a smokefree advocate, this is YOUR DAY. Use it!