Paid advertising following passage of smoke-free air law - 4/6/07

Q:

1. In the aftermath of passing smoke-free air laws, what have states done with paid advertising targeting the public?
    
2. How long following passage of the law did paid advertising target the public?
    
3. How much paid advertising was targeted to the public (versus restaurant owners and associations)?

A:

1. Colorado – Colorado developed a major paid campaign following the passage of its law. All of the information and materials (including tv and radio ads) are available at smokefreecolorado.org. All ads are very easy to retag with other state info.
    
2. Montana - Montana had three bar owners who went smoke-free before our 2009 deadline in an ad. They all talked about how their business was doing fine and how much their employees liked being smoke-free (the Clean Indoor Air Act allows bars to have smoking until Oct. 1, 2009).  Six months or so later, we created an ad with waitresses and waiters thanking "Montana" for going smoke free. Both of these ads were made without actors.
    
3. Nebraska - After the passage of the Lincoln Ordinance we implemented the "Enjoy Smoke-Free Lincoln" campaign.  The paid advertising included outdoor billboards, bus placards, print media in the Lincoln Journal Star, Neighborhood Extra, Star City Health, and promotional fact cards distributed through the Lincoln Visitors Bureau. The advertising was scheduled for the first six months of the year, but the bus placards remained in circulation for 10 months. The campaign was targeted almost strictly to the public.  Other resources were provided to restaurants and other businesses including: personal visits from a health educator, business implementation packets, frequently asked questions webpage on the Health Department's website, and other printed materials.
    
4. Nevada – Nevada just began the brainstorming process of an ad campaign following the passage of the Nevada Indoor Clean Air Act in December 2006.  We may feature bar/restaurant owners who swore their business would decline after the passage and now realize that it hasn’t, or the benefits of smoke-free bars/restaurants especially where it impacted children.  We will have more in the next few months.
    
5. Ohio – Ohio is not doing paid advertising, at least not at this point; however, we will have a website for the public and worksites regarding the law, enforcement rules, the health consequences of SHS, quitting tobacco use, and what worksites can do related to expanding policy efforts including providing cessation coverage, etc.  That site should be up before implementation of the rules of enforcement.
    
6. Vermont – Vermont had smoke-free work sites and restaurants for many years, but only just recently (September of 2005) closed the loophole that allowed smoking in bars and privates clubs.  Most of the communication was done by a non-profit called the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont, who did the majority of the lobbying to change the law.  Knowing that bar owners would either be unhappy or feeling that they had to do extra communication, the Health Department created a poster to be displayed prior to the new law taking effect. It was mailed directly to bar and club owners along with fun coasters and a letter.
    
7. West Virginia – West Virginia has no experience with advertising targeting the public following passage of a smoke-free air regulation.

Back to Table of Contents