The links below contained detailed information for the upcoming 2017 Safe States Alliance Annual Meeting, taking place September 12-14, 2017 in Aurora, Colorado.
Please note:
- A total of five concurrent sessions will take place during the Annual Meeting, and there will be up to five breakouts occurring simultaneously during each of those concurrent sessions. Within each breakout, there will be up to four presentations that take place.
- This online system does not allow us to embed the individual presentations within each breakout. Please note the session presentations listed under each Concurrent Breakout title for associated content.
- The on-site mobile app WILL embed these sessions for ease of use.
- A printable, detailed agenda can be found on the 2017 Annual Meeting website.
- If you have any questions, please contact info@safestates.org
- All session times and locations are tentative and subject to change. Safe States will continue to update these details as changes take place.
Preserving North Carolina's Universal Motorcycle Helmet Law: Partners in Action 2011-2017
Learning Objectives
In this session, participants will:
- Learn how the motorcycle helmet issue was framed to counter the freedom argument for repeal.
- Learn how a diverse partnership was formed and sustained to purserve the helmet law over the political advantage of pro-repeal advocates.
- Learn of health studies that were instrumental and changing the conversation about the value of retaining the helme law.
Statement of Purpose
The presentation provides a policy analysis and frame work to discuss injury prevention policy in a changing policy environment.
Methods/Approach
The method was: use the best available public health data, analyze the policy strategies best suited to assert the value of preserving the current policy, identify and develop diverse partner support, develp new studies and data to reinforce the injury preveniton message, conduct active communication during the legislative session, and evaluate at the close of the legislative session and prepare for the next session.
Results
Over the strong political advantage of the pro-repeal advicates, partners in North Carolina have successfully preserved the states universal motorcycle helmet law for 6 years.
Conclusions & Significance to the Field
States faced with defending injury prevention laws can consider the use of the strategies to their situation of defending an effective law in the face of a "freedom" and "nanny state" challenge.
Presenters
Alan Dellapenna, Jr., MPH, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Biography
Mr. Dellapenna leads the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (IVPB) of the North Carolina Division of Public Health. Mr. Dellapenna joined the North Carolina Division of Public Health in 2010 following a 27 year career as a Commissioned Officer in the US Public Health Service assigned to the Indian Health Service. He graduated the Indian Health Service, Injury Prevention Specialist Fellowship in 1989. He led the Phoenix Area IHS and national IHS Injury Prevention Program during his time in IHS. His current duties include chairing the North Carolina Injury and Violence Prevention State Advisory Council; heading the Prevention Committee of the North Carolina Brain Injury Advisory Council; member of the North Carolina Older Driver Work Group; Co-Chair, Unintentional Death Committee of the North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force.