Utilizing person on the street surveys to drive public policy change and local advocacy

A CDC best practice in Tobacco Control is to mobilize communities on tobacco control issues. Such mobilization can be challenging in communities where residents feel they have accomplished a great deal in tobacco control and are experiencing a sense of “tobacco advocacy fatigue”. Given this reality, tobacco control programs need tools to effectively mobilize community members. What's more, with shrinking public health dollars, local-level data must be collected in a cost-effective manner.

In 2012, community-based Rhode Island tobacco control advocates collected public opinion data from 919 residents via 60-second intercept interviews to gauge community support for an expanded outdoor smoke-free public places policy including beaches, parks, playgrounds, dining areas and events. The survey showed that out of 916 respondents, 89% liked or loved the idea of 100% smoke-free parks, 92% liked or loved the idea of 100% smoke-free playgrounds, and 91% percent liked or loved the idea of smoke-free sports and recreation areas. In one community, data from the survey demonstrated that 74% of respondents liked or loved the idea of a smoke-free Autumnfest fall festival. Advocates used the data to inform festival organizers who eventually adopted a smoke-free festival policy.

The person-on-the-street survey proved to be a public health advocacy and mobilization tool that was easy to use, responsive to smart phone technology, flexible, inexpensive, and localized. Survey data provided information that was used by community-based advocates to support policy change. Community data collectors were energized by this process and new grassroots supporters were identified in the process