Smoke-Free Policy Adoption in Horizon City and El Paso Community College: A Strategic Campaign Approach That Turns a “No” Into a “Yes”

Abstract

Coalitions in Horizon City in El Paso County, Texas and the El Paso Community College (EPCC) had previously attempted to pass smoke-free policies in 2008 and 2016, respectively; however, both policies failed to pass at those times. The coalitions refocused their activities and were successful in passing policies in EPCC in 2020 and in Horizon City in 2021. We employed a participatory case study method to understand what factors changed between the first and second attempts at smoke-free policy adoption in Horizon City and EPCC. Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework as a basis for analysis, we identified the role of coalitions, their beliefs, use of power resources, role of policy brokers, and external events. We identify best practices and make recommendations for coalitions seeking to adopt smoke-free policies in other locations.

Keywords

tobacco prevention and control public health laws/policies advocacy partnerships/coalitions community assessment qualitative evaluation college/community partnerships

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