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The American Cancer Society’s (ACS) annual Great American Smokeout (GASO) encourages Americans to quit smoking. Each year, the tobacco control program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park) partners with ACS and other agencies to help people quit using tobacco. “While stopping use of all tobacco products is the goal — the most important thing people who smoke can do to improve their health is to stop smoking cigarettes,” says Andrew Hyland, PhD, chair of the Health Behavior Department at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Despite the devastating impact tobacco can have on people’s health, 28.3 million American adults still smoke cigarettes. It also remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world. In New York State (NYS), cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure cause the deaths of about 30,000 adults who smoke yearly. Another 65,000 New York adults live with serious conditions which can be attributed to cigarette smoking including cardiovascular disease, chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer.
The efforts of Roswell Park’s tobacco control program, health systems and organizations, and state and local legislation have led to reduced smoking rates among adults and youths compared to national numbers. In 2022, 11.3 % of adults in NYS smoked (down from 14.1% in 2017) compared to a national adult smoking prevalence of 14%. Cigarette smoking among high school youth reached a new low – only 2.1% of high school youth report currently smoking, representing a 92% decrease in the youth smoking rate since 2000 when 27.1% of high school users reported smoking cigarettes. Despite these positive milestones, tobacco use remains a significant public health problem. Nearly 1.6 million adults throughout the state still smoke cigarettes, and adults with poor mental health, less than a high school education, or annual income of less than $25,000 smoke cigarettes at much higher rates.
Erie County has helped countless people quit
As one of the first counties in New York State to pass the Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA), Erie County has long been a champion of protecting citizens from the heavy toll of tobacco’s harms. The passage of the CIAA and ensuing smoke-free laws created healthier spaces in our parks, public buildings, sports arenas, schools, workplaces and restaurants. In 2018, the time came to create an even healthier Erie County with the Public Health Act, which bans:
-Smoking in a vehicle with anyone under 18 years-old present
-The sale of tobacco or nicotine-containing products in pharmacies and other healthcare-providing organizations, and
-Smoking in or adjacent to NFTA bus shelters and public areas near them.
It’s never too late to quit
Regardless of your age or how long you’ve been smoking, quitting has immediate benefits. Soon after quitting, your heart rate decreases and blood nicotine level drops to zero. Within a couple of weeks, breathing becomes easier, and within one year, heart attack risk drops sharp. “Nicotine and tobacco use contribute to chronic respiratory diseases and cancer, and reductions in the quality and length of life for hundreds of thousands of people each year. This represents a very real and continuing public health challenge,” says Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “Quitting starts with a commitment and a plan. Success often takes more than one try, and studies show that strong support greatly increases the chances of staying smoke-free for life.”
Help with quitting or vaping
New Yorkers who want help to quit smoking or vaping, including counseling and medication, should talk to a healthcare professional and also contact the New York State Quitline. The Quitline offers free and confidential service seven days a week by calling 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487), visiting nysmokefree.com or texting either QUITNOW (English) or DÉJELO YA NY (Spanish) to 333888. Live quit coaches in English and Spanish (and additional translation by request) are available every day, starting at 9 AM, to help participants develop a quit-plan and discuss triggers. Nearly all people ages 18 and older can receive a free starter supply of nicotine replacement therapy medications via mail, including nicotine patches, gum and/or lozenges. Additional self-help materials for download or mail delivery, online requests for medications or call-scheduling, and an online chat are just some of the many tools available at nysmokefree.com.