Cuomo works to make state tobacco free
Staff Reports
As part of an initiative to combat tobacco use, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to award $9 million to local organizations that will work to make New York a tobacco-free state.
The awards will be made through New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Control, which is seeking applications from community organizations. Total funding for the Advancing Tobacco Free Communities initiative is expected to be $9.4 million, dispersed over five years.
“Tobacco addiction is still the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in New York state as well as the United States,” said state Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav R. Shah. “If we can work together to create a tobacco-free state, we can significantly lessen the impact of tobacco on the lives of all New Yorkers.”
Every year, approximately 25,000 people die prematurely because of cigarette use. Nearly 570,000 New Yorkers have serious diseases directly attributable to smoking, including lung and oral cancers, heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking is a major cause of multiple cancers, heart disease and stroke, and is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
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