Happy 20th Anniversary – NC Alliance For Health

In 2002 the American Heart Association gathered key health organizations, including NC Prevention Partners, the NC Local Health Directors Association, NC Pediatric Society and others to join forces to address the toll of tobacco use in North Carolina.  This group became known as the NC Alliance for Health (NCAH). This year marks the 20^th Anniversary of the convening of the coalition and an opportunity to celebrate the many policy successes that have helped build a healthier North Carolina.

During the early years, NCAH focused solely on tobacco control issues and prioritized a work plan to address (3) key priorities:

• Increasing the state cigarette excise tax
• Smoke-free worksites and public places
• Funding tobacco use prevention and cessation programs

The initial Seventy-Five Saves Lives campaign promoted increasing the cigarette excise tax by 75-cents per pack.  This campaign helped position NCAH as the go-to group on tobacco control issues. NCAH was able to leverage such notable voices as UNC Basketball Coach Dean Smith who was the voice behind a series of messages that coined the phrase, “It’s a slam-dunk for kids.”  During the 2005-2006 Legislative Biennium lawmakers increased the tax on cigarettes by 30-cents per pack.

Building on this success NCAH began promoting legislation to make all worksites and public places smoke-free while also restoring the ability for local communities to also extend smoke-free protections.  Between 2006 – 2008 NCAH successfully worked with lawmakers to pass a series of bills that extended smoke-free protections starting first with General Assembly buildings, and then extended out to the state motor vehicle fleet, and tobacco-free schools.  In 2009, NCAH led efforts to support legislation which would ultimately make the state’s restaurants and bars smoke-free and restore the ability for local communities to extend protections to other public places.

In 2008, while NCAH was working on the smoke-free issue, the decision was made to broaden the mission and include obesity prevention policy work.  The coalition welcomed new members and took on issues related to improving access to healthy eating and daily physical activity both in communities and schools.  This brought new successes in helping local communities invest in biking and pedestrian infrastructure, supporting physical education in schools and creation of a statewide healthy corner store program.  

I have been privileged to be a part of the NCAH journey from its’ humble beginnings.  It’s been an adventure that’s included daily learning, overcoming challenges, finding solutions and saving lives.  Together these experiences helped us forge life-long friendships.    

Happy Anniversary, NCAH and here’s to the next 20 years!