Public Health Solutions (PHS) has been on the forefront of tobacco control advocacy and education for over ten years. So we are beyond thrilled to be part of the latest movement in tobacco control in NYC.
On August 28, 2017, Mayor de Blasio signed seven bills that will drastically curb smoking and tobacco usage. These laws will help to reduce the number of New York City smokers by 160,000 over the next three years. With over 12,000 New Yorkers dying every year from smoking-related illnesses, these policies are truly lifesaving.
Watch NYC Smoke-Free Director, Deidre Sully speak at bill signing
These bills once again put New York City at the forefront of smoking and tobacco control in numerous ways, including banning the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, preventing tobacco retail proliferation and placing a cap on the number of tobacco retail outlets in each community district, and raising the minimum price of tobacco products to one of the highest in the country. They will also help residents across NYC to breathe tobacco free air by requiring smoking policies in residential buildings, and prohibiting smoking and e-cigarettes in many residential building common areas.
PHS’ NYC Smoke-Free team attended the bill signing ceremony at Kings County Hospital, joining NYC Mayor, Bill De Blasio, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, American Lung Association of Northeast, American Heart Association, and a more tobacco control advocates. Our NYC-Smoke Free team was instrumental in passing the NYC Smoke-Free Air Act of 2002, and is committed to tackle disparities in tobacco use that affects vulnerable New Yorkers. We are proud to be a partner in the city’s tobacco control efforts, and expect these laws to encourage a continued decline in smoking, leading to a healthier, tobacco-free city.
Learn more about our NYC Smoke-Free Program.