Building Capacity for Smoke-free Workplace Policy in Boone County

The purpose of this planning project is to build capacity for tobacco-free environments in Boone County Kentucky. The primary goal is to develop a broad-based local health coalition to launch a smoke-free workplace campaign in Florence. The objectives are to: engage hard to reach populations, train and advise the coalition to use evidence based advocacy strategies, and use a citizen science protocol to collect air quality data to build demand for smoke]free environments. The long-term goal is policy change by local elected officials that will protect 100% of the Florence 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. Currently the Northern Kentucky District Health Department (NKDHD), the Boone County Alliance, St. Elizabeth Hospital, and LiveWell Florence are all engaged in health promotion efforts, and we hope to bring them together along with additional key civic and healthcare leaders in order to expand the coalition. As a contract with the NKDHD, Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy faculty and staff will provide expert technical assistance and train the group in smoke-free policy advocacy strategies. KCSP will also develop a sampling design and train advocates to collect indoor air quality data based on a citizen science protocol using AirBeam devices, in partnership with colleagues at the University of Cincinnati. KCSP will assist the coalition in developing a product translating the air quality data in order to educate and inform the community about the dangers of secondhand smoke and the benefits of smoke]free policy.