Bracken County Smoke-free Partnership

The purpose of this planning project is to build capacity for tobacco-free environments in Bracken County Kentucky. The primary goal is to develop a broad-based local health coalition to launch a smokefree workplace campaign in Bracken County. The objectives are to: engage hard-to-reach populations, train and advise the coalition to use evidence-based advocacy strategies, and plan a social marketing campaign to build demand for tobacco-free environments. The long]term goal is policy change by local elected officials that will protect 100% of the Bracken County population from secondhand smoke in all public places and workplaces. This 12 month planning project is designed to create a strong coalition infrastructure to grow and sustain the smoke]free workplace campaign in the future. Effective smoke-free workplace campaigns in rural Kentucky often take up to and longer than 5 years. Without this planning project to build a strong, sustainable coalition, smoke-free policy goals will not be achieved in this rural, low income county. Currently the Bracken County Health Department, the Regional Prevention Center, Comprehend Inc., the Federally Qualified Health Center (PrimaryPlus), area school Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, and the Bracken County Extension Office are all engaged in collaborative health promotion efforts. Through this planning project, we will help to expand the coalition to include the Bracken County Chamber of Commerce, Ministerial Association, Homemakers Association, local pharmacies and other businesses, and key civic and healthcare leaders in Bracken County. Once broad coalition membership is established and the group is trained in smoke-free policy work, selected members will educate and inform the community about the dangers of secondhand smoke and the benefits of smoke-free policy. Evidence]based messages will be used in the local weekly newspaper and on the health department website, social media sites, billboards, flyers, and posters posted in local small businesses. The Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy (KCSP) offers a Media Resource Center and messaging fact sheets that will help in this process. Likewise KCSP will also share its depth and breadth of experience in tobacco control with the coalition by providing technical assistance.