Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

In the distant future, health care is a commodity the average person can access only by winning a highly publicized lottery. A bad sci-fi movie, possibly starring Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis? No, it's a real program underway in Oregon.

Can't a country routinely affording $3.60 cups of coffee can do better than to let citizens gamble their lives on the long odds of winning a lottery?

House Bill 267 requires that all North Carolina businesses with alcohol permits sort and have collected all glass, plastics and cans. Furthermore, any new businesses wishing to obtain alcohol permits must provide proof of contracted service to have recycling picked up. I salute such a huge step in the direction of sustainability. Business owners are sure to feel the pinch, however, and there is little doubt that consumers will share in that discomfort. It's important that the General Assembly run with the ball it's picked up and not drop it. Currently only 5 of 100 counties are offering to collect businesses' recyclables. Only 51 are going to allow businesses to drop off at community collection centers. Hopefully this burden will continue to be eased. As the old adage goes, you can certainly catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Senate Bill 862 - Smoke-free UNC - serves to:

"Allow regulation of smoking on the campuses of the UNC Health Care System, the facilities of the East Carolina School of Medicine and Physicians Practice Plan, and the buildings and grounds of the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina."

To clarify, 'constituent institutions' means all member schools in the University of North Carolina system, and 'regulation' is defined as the prohibiting of smoking inside and within 100 linear feet of any building on the campus of any aforementioned institution. Legislation like this, and programs such as the North Carolina Health Wellness Trust Fund, are helping to shape and articulate national opinions on a number of important issues, from the economics of health care to the responsibility required of all of us in order to affect change. North Carolina is clearly ready to honor its legacy on Tobacco Road with smart, progressive decisions that will help safeguard its future.

Both pieces of legislation deserve kudos, and both have me feeling pretty great about Capstrat, and about my work that matters. To read more about new NC legislation ringing in with the new year, try these tips:

• Download the PDF . WARNING! EXTREMELY DRY READ!

• Grab your nearest Google search bar and type: "effective january 1, 2008" legislation inurl:ncleg. Takes you straight to the meaty bits. Supplement this search with additional keywords ('recycling,' for example) to further narrow the search. 

And if you see something you don't like, or otherwise have a strong opinion about, track down your representative and voice it.