FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 22, 2004

Governor Pataki Announces $19.7 Million In Funding For New York's Comprehensive Anti-Smoking, Tobacco Control Initiatives

Approximately $220 Million Dedicated to Tobacco Prevention and Reduction Since 1996

Governor George E. Pataki today announced $19.7 million in funding for the support of 19 tobacco cessation centers and 74 community-based organizations to prevent and reduce tobacco use across the state. The programs further strengthen the State's efforts to help smokers combat their addiction and reduce the prevalence of smoking among New Yorkers.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to help more New Yorkers live longer, healthier and happier lives," Governor Pataki said. "The expansion of tobacco cessation centers is an important part of our historic and continuing effort to help smokers quit. As many smokers or former smokers know, it's extremely difficult to kick the habit. The expansion of these centers will give even more New Yorkers the help they need to quit once and for all."

"Community-based organizations are critical partners in providing the public with the information they need concerning the dangers of smoking. Our continued financial commitment to them is another component of our comprehensive effort to help more New Yorkers understand those dangers so they can avoid the use of tobacco altogether," the Governor added.

The funding announced today is part of a five-year, $87 million commitment by the Governor to stop cigarette smoking and the use of tobacco products by New Yorkers. In addition to this new funding initiative, the Governor has over the past eight years dedicated historic funding levels totaling approximately $220 million to support anti-smoking and tobacco control initiatives in New York State.

Approximately $5 million of the funding announced today has been dedicated to the support of the 19 tobacco cessation centers run by hospitals, health centers and community-based organizations throughout New York State. The centers will train and support health care organizations to implement federal guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for treating nicotine addiction. Under the federal guidelines for treating tobacco dependence, all healthcare organizations must develop standardized systems for identifying patients who use tobacco and provide them with advice to quit.

The remaining $14.7 million will support 74 community-based organizations and county-run programs dedicated to the prevention and reduction of tobacco use among New Yorkers. These community-based organizations continue to provide outreach to New Yorkers about the dangers associated with smoking and, at the same time, are making smoking a less and less acceptable behavior, particularly among youth.

State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H said, "Thanks to the leadership of Governor Pataki, New York's tobacco control initiatives are providing our communities with expanded access to vital resources to help New Yorkers quit smoking. Equally important, the community outreach provided by the grassroots tobacco partnerships is helping reduce the acceptability of tobacco use and is stopping so many of our youth from ever smoking in the first place."

According to the State Health Department experts, studies show that up to half of all smokers will die prematurely as a result of their addiction, losing an average of 14 years of life. Young smokers who quit smoking by 30 years of age dramatically decrease their chance of dying early from tobacco-related diseases. Research shows that smokers who obtain advice from their doctors to quit smoking are 30 percent more likely to do so successfully.

Since the enhancement and expansion of New York's anti-smoking campaign under the Governor's direction in 1996, State Health Department statistics show that the number of everyday smokers declined from 19.2 percent in 1996 to 16.9 percent in 2002. In addition, the percentage of everyday smokers in New York State who made attempts to quit smoking within a 12-month period increased from 49.6 percent in 2001 to 57.9 percent in 2002.

The latest data show a noticeable decline in the prevalence of smoking among New York's young people. The use of cigarettes by middle school students statewide declined from 10.1 percent in 2000 to 6.7 percent in 2002. The use of cigarettes among high school students also declined, dropping from 27.4 percent in 2000 to 21.3 percent in 2002.

The following initiatives are supported under the Governor's comprehensive anti-smoking and tobacco control campaign:

  • New York State Smokers' Quit Line -1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) - provides cessation information and referral services to smokers who want to quit smoking;
  • Reality Check Youth Action programs provide outreach to school-aged youth from all economic and cultural backgrounds and get them involved in activities that are aimed at de-glamorizing smoking in their communities;
  • Tobacco Free Student Support Services provide resources and support to schools that develop, implement and enforce effective tobacco-free school policies;
  • Enforcement of youth access restrictions through the State's Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act. The initiative helps focus community attention on the issue of youth access to tobacco, and educates and cites retailers who violate this law;
  • Medicaid coverage for over-the-counter and prescription cessation therapies;
  • Additional anti-smoking laws and regulations such as the recently amended New York State Clean Indoor Air Act which prohibits smoking in virtually all public places and new regulations adopted this year that require all cigarettes sold in New York be manufactured with a special fire resistant paper that will help reduce the likelihood of an accidental fire from a burning cigarette;
  • Higher excise taxes on the purchase of cigarettes, raising the price of cigarettes and discouraging youths from purchasing them; and
  • A statewide tobacco education media campaign with the goals of educating New Yorkers about the health risks of smoking and the dangers of secondhand smoke.

The following smoking cessation centers were awarded first-year funding:

Smoking Cessation Center County Award
Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronx $302,500
American Lung Association of Hudson Valley White Plains $379,250
Arnot Ogden Medical Center Elmira $173,000
Carthage Area Hospital Carthage $165,750
Cicatelli Associates Inc. Staten Island $200,000
Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare Utica $182,250
Glens Falls Hospital Glens Falls $213,250
HHC/Woodhull Medical Center Brooklyn $467,000
Kingston Regional Health Care System Lake Katrine $105,000
North Country Healthy Heart Network, Inc. Saranac Lake $164,750
North Shore University Hospital Manhasset $526,500
Queens Hospital Center - Health Network Jamaica $431,750
Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo $324,000
Seton Health Troy $336,000
Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc. Olean $100,000
St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center Syracuse $100,000
Trustees of Columbia University in the City of NY New York $332,750
United Health Services Hospitals Johnson City $246,000
University of Rochester Rochester $298,216
Total $5,047,966

 

The following organizations received funding as part of the community-based partnership smoking prevention and reduction initiative:

Organization County Award
American Lung Association of Hudson Valley White Plains $850,000
American Lung Association of Nassau-Suffolk Hauppauge $850,000
American Lung Association of Northeastern NY Albany$481,000
American Lung Association of the Finger Lakes, Inc. Rochester $569,000
Monroe
American Lung Association of the Finger Lakes, Inc. Rochester $283,000
Ontario
Basset Healthcare Cooperstown $197,000
Broome County Health Department Binghamton $283,000
Cayuga Community Health Network Auburn $154,000
Chautauqua County Dept. of Health Partnership Mayville $294,000
Chemung County Health Department Elmira $261,000
Chenango Health Network Norwich $143,000
Clinton County Health Department Plattsburgh $219,000
Columbia County Healthcare Consortium Hudson $186,000
Cortland County Health Department Cortland $208,000
Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, Monticello $154,000
Sullivan County, Inc.
Dutchess County Department of Health Poughkeepsie $305,000
Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. Batavia $208,000
Integrated Community Planning of Oswego County Oswego $186,000
Kingston Regional Health Care Kingston $219,000
Livingston County Department of HealthMt. Morris$143,000
Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. Canastota $154,000
Medical and Health Research Association, New York $850,000
New York City Onondaga County Health Dept. Syracuse $404,000
Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo$811,000
Saint Mary's Hospital of Amsterdam Amsterdam $186,000
St. Lawrence County Public Health Department Canton $186,000
The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga County Saratoga Springs $327,000
YMCA of the Mohawk Valley - Partnership Mohawk $316,000
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County Delhi $75,000
Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. Wellsville $75,000
Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth - Broome Binghamton $105,000
Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth - Columbia Binghamton $125,000
Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth - Dutchess Binghamton $150,000
Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth - Oneida Binghamton $105,000
Catholic Charities of Fulton County Johnstown $95,000
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany Amsterdam $75,000
Champlain Valley Family Center Plattsburgh $125,000
Chautauqua County Department of Health Mayville $105,000
Chenango Health Network - Youth Norwich $75,000
Cornell Cooperative Ext. of Tompkins County Ithaca $125,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County Lockport $105,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Otsego County Cooperstown $75,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County Ballston Spa $105,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County Montour Falls $125,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County Liberty $75,000
Cornell Cooperative Extension Tioga County Owego $75,000
Council for Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Hudson Falls $75,000
Division of Community Youth Dev. & Student Support West Seneca $130,000
Services at Erie 1 BOCES Family Services of Westchester Port Chester $130,000
Genesee County Youth Bureau Batavia $125,000
Huther-Doyle Memorial Institute, Inc. Huther-Doyle Prevention Services) Seneca/Yates Catchment AreaRochester$95,000
Huther-Doyle Memorial Institute, Inc.(DBA: Huther-DoylePrevention Services) Monroe/Livingston Catchment Area Rochester $150,000
Huther-Doyle Memorial Institute, Inc.(DBA: Huther-Doyle Prevention Services) Wayne/Ontario Catchment Area Rochester $125,000
Jewish Community Center of Staten Island Staten Island $275,000
Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. Canastota $75,000
Medical and Health Research Assn. Of NYC, Inc. Manhattan, Queens, Bronx New York $315,000
Mountain View Prevention Services Lowville $150,000
North Star Behavioral Health Services Programs Malone $75,000
Orange County Department of Health Newburgh $130,000
Oswego City-County Youth Bureau Oswego $105,000
Prevention Network/OCAA Syracuse $150,000
Putnam County Youth Bureau Carmel $75,000
Rockland County Department of Health, Health Education Division Pomona $105,000
Seaway Valley Prevention Council Canton $105,000
Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc. Olean $75,000
Steuben County Youth Bureau Bath $75,000
SUNY Research Foundation/SUNY Cobleskill Cobleskill $75,000
The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga Board of Cooperative Ed. Services (Albany) Albany $105,000
The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga Board of Cooperative Ed. Services (Schenectady) Albany $105,000
The Rensselaer County Department of Health Troy $105,000
Washington County Cornell Cooperative Extension Hudson Falls $75,000
Wyoming County Cornell Cooperative Extension Warsaw $75,000
YMCA of Long Island, Inc. Glen Cove $275,000
YMCA of the Mohawk Valley Mohawk $75,000
Total $14,652,000

 

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