Youth Council Spotlight: Ottawa, KS
 
10 Youth in Government members from Ottawa, KS decided to lobby their city commissioners to enact a Clean Indoor Air Ordinance in Ottawa which would promote
public health by decreasing citizens’ exposure to secondhand smoke.
They surveyed
all students in grades 8-12 in Ottawa and found
that 80% of those surveyed favored a Clean Indoor Air Ordinance stating that
they “want a smoke-free future for Ottawa.”
In addition, Youth in Government members surveyed local civic groups and health
professionals. The results from all groups were unanimous. Every
survey returned indicated a strong support for a Clean Indoor Air Ordinance for
Ottawa.
 
To
a packed Commission Chamber, Youth in Government challenged the City Commission
to take a stand to protect the health of all citizens in Ottawa by drafting a Clean Indoor Air
Ordinance. Their comments were well-received by the public and the Commission.
They
were asked by the Mayor to submit copies of other cities’ ordinances to the
City Manager’s office for their review. This was done on August 14th
and on September 10th the City Manager’s Office and City Attorney
presented the Commission with a draft of a Clean Indoor Air Ordinance for Ottawa.A public forum will be held in October.
Though
the issue of clean indoor air has surfaced occasionally in the last several years,
it was the work detailed above by 10 of Ottawa’s
youth who make up the Youth in Government program that finally made the City
Commission move the item forward for public debate. Up to this point, it
had never made it past a public comment in the meeting minutes. These
youth are committed to a smoke-free future for Ottawa.
For more information
on Ottawa Youth in Government visit www.ottawakansas.net
YouthScape is seeking more youth councils and commissions for its spotlight! If you think your local youth
council should be featured, email information
about your group’s background and recent work to fellow@nlc.org More Youth Council Spotlights
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