Effective tobacco control advocacy through faith partnerships

Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable deaths and has been linked to other chronic diseases and cancers. Ohio ranks high in states with smoking populations exceeding 26%. The city of Toledo ranked highest in the state with Cleveland closely following. When, the Greater Cleveland Health Education & Service Council became the lead agency in the city of Cleveland (2005) to implement a Clean Indoor Air campaign, it recognized the critical importance of engaging the faith community in its strategy. This agency had a history of working with faith leaders through its church council as part of its high blood pressure education program. A ‘Church Covenant' Program was developed in the city of Cleveland with four key faith organizations. They are the Commission on Catholic Community Action, The Baptist Minister's Conference of Ohio, United Pastors in Mission and ELEEO Ministries. These organizations provided the core group of churches who participated in providing information and conducting programs to educate and engage its members. Covenant members were provided with first hand training for a contact person from their congregation. Churches who participated received also received an incentive to cover program expenses. Member organizations provided a variety of programs emphasizing the harmful effects of SHS and the need to provide protection for Cleveland's workers. They also made phone calls, wrote letters, and made personal visits to local legislators. More than 50 diverse faith organizations participated.