1. Promoviendo Bienestar para Familias y Comunidad con Conocimiento, Confianza, y Poder Promoting 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

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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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

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

15. Where is smoking newly prohibited
Summary of Revised City of San Antonio Smoking Ordinance Effective Date: August 19, 2011
Where is smoking newly prohibited
Indoor/Enclosed Spaces:
Bars
Billiard Halls
Bingo Facilities
Comedy Clubs
Gaming facilities
Restaurants, except outdoor seating designated as smoking sections
Places of employment
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