The Toronto health department years ago adopted a policy on "Advocacy for
Basic Prerequisites to Health," which might be useful as an internal policy
guideline.  Contact Barb Hansen at the health department, 416 392-6620.

>Last week our health department had to make a decision about whether to
>endorse a national campaign which was putting a two page ad in the Globe
>and Mail to advocate for national legislation based on our Tobacco Control
>Blueprint.  After extensive deliberation, our health department decided
>not to endorse the advertisement (although we endorsed in indirectly
>through our local council on smoking and health).
>
>Our decision was swayed by the fact
>that we work in a regional government and did not have explicit political
>direction to do this, and by the fact that the text of the ad was somewhat
>inflammatory and targeted the Prime Minister.
>
>As a result of this situation, I now have been given the task to develop a
>departmental policy and procedure on political advocacy on health issues.
>I am interested in knowing if others have such a policy and procedure or a
>checklist of items that they use before making an advocacy decision.  Have
>other people had similar dilemmas and how did you resolve them?
>
>Tracey
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Tracey E. Taylor, B.A., M.A.Sc.
>Coordinator, Tobacco & Substance Abuse Prevention Programs
>Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Public Health Department
>P.O. Box 897, Hamilton, ON  L8N 3P6
>ph: (905) 546-3573  fax: (905) 528-2205
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
Ronald Labonte
Communitas Consulting
29 Jorene Drive
Kingston, Ontario, Canada  K7M 3X5
(voice):  613-634-7396
(fax):    613-634-2384