NYS Tobacco Control Saves Lives and Healthcare Dollars
The Challenge
Each year 25,000 adults in New York State die from smoking and 389,000 kids now under 18 and alive in New York will ultimately die prematurely from smoking.
New York spends $8.17 billion caring for people made sick from smoking. NY residents' state and federal tax burden from smoking-caused healthcare expenditures is $900 per household.
Accomplishments Across New York State
Since 2000, the prevalence of smoking among adults has dropped to 16.8% which is significantly lower than the national average.
Smoking rates among NY high school students dropped from 32.9% in 1997 to 13.8% in 2007 - the lowest in the nation.
Last year, 160,000 people received help from the New York State Smokers' Quitline.
In 2003, the expanded NYS Clean Indoor Air Act was enacted and is one of the most stringent clean indoor air laws in the nation.
Over 145 municipalities in New York State have passed regulations restricting tobacco use in outdoor recreational areas.
What's Next For NY Tobacco Control?
Tobacco control programs play a crucial role in the prevention of many chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illness. Comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation programs like the one in NYS prevent kids from starting to smoke, helps adult smokers quit, and serve as a counter to the ever-present negative influence of the tobacco industry.
There are still 2.5 million smokers in NY that need help - we must continue to invest our dollars wisely by supporting tobacco control in NYS. Each $1.00 invested in an effective, comprehensive tobacco control program yields $3.00 in savings in tobacco caused health care expenditures.
For more information, download: Fact Sheet - The Burden of Tobacco (PDF)