What is the SAFE Coalition?
The SAFE (Smoke-Free Air for Everyone) Coalition, formerly known as the Fargo-Cass Tobacco Prevention Network, was formed in 2002 to address concerns related to tobacco use and workplace exposure to secondhand smoke in Cass County. The coalition is comprised of representatives from a variety of organizations as well as concerned citizens. It has now evolved to focus on keeping everyone, especially youth, SAFE from tobacco and nicotine products.
Coalition Mission
The mission of the SAFE Coalition is to improve the health of the citizens of Cass County through education and strategies designed to eliminate the use of tobacco products and exposure to the harmful effects of tobacco.
Coalition History & Accomplishments
Starting in 2003, SAFE began working toward eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke in restaurants in the cities of Fargo and West Fargo. Local ordinances were passed in both cities in 2004, making it illegal to smoke in restaurants that allowed minors to enter the premises. In 2005, there was a successful statewide movement that mirrored the accomplishments in Fargo and West Fargo. In 2007, SAFE began the task of working toward comprehensive smoke-free ordinances for all public workplaces, including bars, truck stops and public access rental and lease properties in Fargo and West Fargo. Collaboration with a citizen group called ‘Share the Air’ resulted in an initiated measure for comprehensive smoke-free ordinances being placed on the June 2008 ballots in both communities. Both measures passed, with ordinances going into effect on July 1, 2008.
During the summer of 2012, members of the SAFE Leadership Team led the coalition in collecting petition signatures to place a statewide smoke-free law on the November 2012 ballot. Nearly 20,000 signatures were gathered state-wide, with more than 5,700 collected from Cass County. The ballot measure passed overwhelmingly, with 66.66% of ND residents voting in favor of the law. The new law went into effect on December 6, 2012, and remains intact to protect residents from exposure to secondhand smoke by prohibiting smoking in all enclosed areas of public workplaces, including vehicles.
Coalition Partners
The coalition is comprised of both private citizens and community partners at the local, state, and national levels. Current organizational partners include:
- American Cancer Society
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
- Clay County Public Health
- Essentia Health
- Family HealthCare
- North Dakota Health & Human Services
- Southeast Human Service Center
- Sanford Health
- Tobacco Free North Dakota