BreatheND : Helping North Dakota break through the smoke cloud : What Can You Do? : Letters to the Editor

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Letters to the Editor

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Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor of your local paper are highly influential in raising awareness and creating a community-wide base of support on this issue. The strongest letters to the editor explain who you are and why you care about smoke-free workplaces and the dangers of secondhand smoke. While a letter can come from a member of the public health or business communities, the most effective letters are from community members like you who simply care about their health and comfort, and that of their friends and families.

In your letter:

1. State why this issue is important to you.

2. Include personal stories: Have you been affected by secondhand smoke? If all workplaces were smoke-free, would you go out to hear music in bars again? Are there indoor public events so smoky that you won't attend them? Is your own workplace smoke-free? Whatever your story is, share it!

3. Share your letter with friends, family and co-workers and encourage them to submit their own.

You can use the fact sheet found here to provide supporting points, and you can use the sample letters below as guidelines, but remember to tell your story. Personal stories are powerful stories.

Sample Letters and Information

North Dakota Newspaper Association (link)

Contact information for dailies and weeklies all across the state.

Fact Sheet (document)
File Size: 64.72 kb

Use this fact sheet for information for letters to the editor and calls to radio talk shows.

Sample Letter 1 (document)
File Size: 20.7 kb

Sample letter to the editor #1.

Sample Letter 2 (document)
File Size: 22.64 kb

Sample letter to the editor #2.

Sample Letter 3 (document)
File Size: 19.93 kb

Sample letter to the editor #3.