We’d all like to think that we make our decisions independently, but our surroundings have a big influence on us. Laws, policies in an organization, advertising, and other rules in our community can shape the environment and predict health behaviors, including substance use. For example, eliminating smoking in workplaces in North Carolina immediately removed exposure to second-hand smoke and contributed to our citizens looking less favorably at the behavior of smoking.

Anuvia utilizes policy advocacy to support legal, physical, social, and economic conditions that, in turn, support healthier behaviors. Because these policies have a direct and measurable impact on the health of our community, our efforts have included advocacy against the legalization of marijuana, for drug free workplace policies, against privatization of alcohol distribution, and for the regulation of smoking in workplaces.

We partner with associations, coalitions, community leaders, and local professionals to identify policies, laws, and rules that impact health conditions, to research their implications, and to consider policy options that benefit the community.