Recommendation: Increase physical activity by making it easy and safe to be physically active daily.
Complete the Promoting Active Communities Assessment (PAC)with your Community Health Coalition. The PAC will lead the Coalition to many policy and environmental changes that will help increase physical activity. It and other resources can be found online at www.mihealthtools.org.
Then, develop an action plan with your Community Health Coalition from the items identified in the PAC. Examples of action plan items include: lowering the speed of traffic in a neighborhood, offering and promoting indoor community facilities for walkers, or location of new businesses and schools.
Help develop trails and sidewalks to connect your community's neighborhoods, schools, stores and parks by biking or walking.
Support adding bike lanes and proper signage to key roads.
Develop a community media campaign promoting how, when and where people can be physically active in your community.
Collaborate with a local media outlet (television station, radio, newspaper, cable station) to provide education on the benefits of being physically active and the risks of not being physically active.
Recommendation: Support daily consumption of, and easy access to, healthy foods.
Offer a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)program linking farmers and residents. CSAs can increase the economic success of farmers and the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Implement a 5 A Day initiative. The 5 A Day Programs includes Body and Soul, 5 A Day Power Play, and Get Fit with 5. More information, ideas and resources can be found at www.5aday.com(and www.5aday.gov).
Implement a low-fat dairy initiative to increase the amount of dairy consumed by residents, such as the 1% or less milk campaign or 3-A-Day campaign found at www.3aday.org.
Recommendation: Support tobacco-free lifestyles by focusing on tobacco prevention and reduction, and promoting smoke-free environments.
Complete the Smoke-Free Community Assessment Tool (SFCAT)to assess smoke-free policy status of local municipalities, work sites, schools, and college campuses; to assess support of smoke-free environments by local public officials, and to determine what cessation services exist and are needed in the community.
Support and participate in activities at the state and local level to provide for and increase smoke-free environments. Information on smoke-free bars, restaurants and worksites can be found at www.makemiairsmokefree.organd www.breathemi.org. Information on smoke-free apartments can be found at www.mismokefreeapartment.org.
Create a community cessation network involving representatives from different organizations and agencies that provide health and human services. As a network, identify and promote cessation services and resources in the community, and offer the opportunity for local health professionals to be trained in an evidence-based smoking cessation program such as the American Lung Association's "Freedom from Smoking" cessation program for adults and "Not on Tobacco (N-O-T)" cessation program for high school aged-youth. Promote and increase the use of the Michigan Department of Community Health's "Smoker's Quit Kit", "Expectant Mother's Quit Kit" and "I Can Quit" cessation hotline 800-480-7848.
Work on state and local initiatives to decrease youth access to tobacco products, and to educate local retailers on the Michigan Youth Tobacco Actand violations of selling tobacco to minor. For example, ask retailers to change their policy about the placement of tobacco products, such as removing self-service displays and placing them behind the counter so they are out of minors' reach. Ask retailers to change the placement of tobacco ads, such as removing tobacco advertising inside and outside of the store.
Work with the local media to promote the state retailer education campaign. Educate local elected officials about, and ask them to eliminate the "preemption clause" of the Tobacco Products Act 327 of 1993. (Section 205.434 of this Act prohibits a city, village, county or other local unit of government from imposing new requirements or prohibition pertaining to the sale or licensure of tobacco products.)
Work with local youth groups, restaurant employees, and the media to promote a smoke-free restaurant campaign encouraging all local and chain restaurants to go smoke-free to protect the health of employees, children, families, and other community members. For more information on access to physical activity, healthy food choices and tobacco-free environments, please visit our Community Resourcespage.
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