Secondhand smoke poses a serious health hazard for workers in restaurants, bars and other smoky environments. To address this, many cities and states in the United States and abroad have implemented indoor smoking bans, but Chicago had fallen behind. The American Cancer Society, Illinois Division turned to CG&A to spearhead a media campaign for Smoke-Free Chicago, an effort to build support for a comprehensive ban in all Chicago workplaces.
	During 2005, CG&A implemented a wide-reaching media campaign, conveying targeted smoke-free messages to Chicago residents and elected officials through all major TV, radio and print media outlets, and community press. Throughout the course of the six month campaign, CG&A managed press conferences, arranged editorial board meetings, developed feature story ideas and developed strategic messages for coalition partners. A major turning point came when the Chicago Tribune editorial page, in a rare move, reversed its previous opinion and wrote in full support of a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance.
	The Smoke-Free Chicago campaign achieved a historic victory when, on December 7, 2005, the Chicago City Council passed a comprehensive ordinance that will lead to the protection of all Chicago workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. The Smoke-Free Chicago Coalition measured success not only by the outcome, but by the tone of media coverage. Throughout the campaign, CG&A successfully pitched dozens of features, including front page stories in Chicago’s Latino and African-American press. The media coverage cast a wide net and reached every community in the city. The Smoke-Free Chicago campaign did what many said could not be done and created a healthier city for Chicago workers, patrons and visitors alike. The Campaign also laid the groundwork for the passage of a monumental, statewide smoke-free law in 2007.