Smoke Free NOW Coordinator scores victory at Batavia City Council meeting

This picture was taken by Nick Serrata and published in The Daily News around 8:41 this morning. It accompanies Joanne Beck's article, "Council bans smoking in city parks."

Our own Kevin Keenan presented a compelling argument for a smoking ban in all city parks at last night's City Council meeting. Partly as a result of the efforts of Smoke Free NOW, the smoking ban has been enacted.

For more details, click here.

'Reality Check' video: 'If Walls Could Talk'

WIVB video: 'Students learn about smoking dangers'

Unfortunately, embedding videos from this particular site never seems to work. If you click on the link at the very bottom of the post, though, it will take you right to the page that has the video and accompanying text.

Students learn about smoking dangers: wivb.com

AP video: "Obama Has Kicked Smoking Habit, First Lady Says"

Daily News article #2: 'Local tobacco control advocates travel to Albany'

Four area youths -- two from Genesee County, two from Wyoming County -- are in Albany today, armed with education and ready to equip our state leaders in the fight against tobacco advertising.

Click to read.

Why do smoking cessation drugs work?

Reuters reported on 01/03/11 on a study which appears in the January, 2011 issue of the journal, Archives of General Psychiatry, which describes speculations about why smoking cessation drugs, bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin) and varenicline(Chantix) work. You can access the Reuter's article by clicking here.

Gruesome Cigarette Pack Images Make Smokers Want to Quit, Study Finds

MONDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed graphic new warning labels on cigarette packaging, to help curb smoking. But do these often gruesome images work to help smokers quit?



A new study suggests they do. Smokers shown grim images of a mouth with a swollen, blackened and generally horrifying cancerous growth covering much of the lip were more likely to say they wanted to quit than smokers shown less disturbing images.

Cigarettes now almost $10.00 a pack in New York State

On July 1, 2010, taxes on tobacco products went up significantly again in New York State. They went up $1.60 a pack of cigarettes bringing the total price almost to $10.00 per pack.

What's the impact?

It's very hard on poorer people who will now be spending $70.00 a week for their weekly supply if they smoke a pack a day.

It will mean that more people will head for the reservations and the border states in search of a cheaper fix. It will also mean a black market will spring up and the label of "drug dealer" will take on new meaning.

Overall, it probably is a good thing in the sense that the social benefits outweigh the social costs, but we at the point in raises taxes on tobacco has unintended consequences which can increase social dysfunction and criminalize a new group of people who are not criminals but addicts.

The Berkshire Eagle had an interesting article yesterday on the predictable rush to the border for addicted New York State smokers. You can access it by clicking here.

Who's smoking in New York?

In April, 2010, GCASA was informed by the New York State Department Of Health Tobacco Control Program that it has been awarded a grant for $170,000.00 to resume the Smoke Free NOW coalition in Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming Counties.

The smoking prevalence rate in New York State has dropped to about 16-18%. New York will not meet the Healthy People 2010 goal set by the US Health and Human Services of 12% but there has been a big decrease in smoking prevalence rates in the last decade.

To learn more about who is smoking in New York click here for the report published in October, 2007, by the New York State Department Of Health.

Dissolvable tobacco - What will they think of next?

The Idaho Reporter reported on 02/22/10,how regulations were stalled in the Idaho State Senate. The most interesting thing in the article though was how "dissolvable tobacco" is being marketed and targeted towards youth in Idaho. I had never heard of "dissolvable tobacco" before.

Check it out by clicking here.

Patch plus lozenge plus 6 counseling sessions help people quit smoking best

Patch plus lozenge plus six counseling sessions work best of all for smoking cessation. Read more click here.

What part of "smoking is harmful" don't you understand?

FDA says electronic cigarettes are not safe

From FDA Press Release on 07/22/09:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.

Electronic cigarettes, also called “e-cigarettes,” are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.

These products are marketed and sold to young people and are readily available online and in shopping malls. In addition, these products do not contain any health warnings comparable to FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes. They are also available in different flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which may appeal to young people.

Whether its the good guys or bad guys smoking in the movies, kids are still influenced to smoke

Science Daily reported on July 3, 2009 on a study which appears in the July, 2009 issue of the Journal, Pediatrics which found that whether its good guys or bad guys who smoke in the movies, kids are still influenced to start smoking.

Here is a snippet from the Science Daily article:

Dartmouth researchers have determined that movie characters who smoke, regardless of whether they are "good guys" or "bad guys," influence teens to try smoking.

"Previous studies have confirmed a link between smoking in movies and the initiation of smoking by adolescents, and we wanted to dig deeper into the data to see if the type of character who is smoking matters. Is it 'good guys' or 'bad guys' that have more of an influence?" said Susanne Tanski, the lead author on the study, and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School. "It's true that 'bad guys' are more often smokers in the movies, but there really are not that many 'bad guys' compared to 'good guys'. Episode for episode, youth who saw negative character smoking were more likely to start smoking, but since overall there is so much more exposure to 'good guy' smoking, the net effect is similar."

The survey also revealed that low-risk teens, based on sensation-seeking behavior, are more strongly influenced by "bad guy" movie smoking. "This suggests that it's alluring for 'good' kids to emulate the 'bad' characters on the movie screen," said Tanksi.

States have broken promises to their citizens in their use of tobacco settlement money

At the end of July, 2009, the New York State Department of Health Tobacco Control Control has stopped funding Smoke Free NOW after 14 years. Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties will not have the resources to continue to maintain its coalition activities to develop healthy policies and practices around tobacco in New York State.

New York, like other states has not kept its promises to fight the scourge of disease and illness caused by tobacco with its Tobacco Settlement money.

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Smoke Free Housing NY - A good idea whose time has come

From the Smoke Free Housing NY web site:

It’s a fact, more than a nuisance; secondhand smoke is a class A carcinogen responsible for a host of chronic illnesses, property destruction, devaluation and a turn-off for many would-be renters.

Maybe you’re a tenant, coop or condo-owner who has had it with secondhand smoke seeping into your living space. Or perhaps you’re a property owner looking to protect your investment and reduce cleaning costs incurred by secondhand smoke. Or you’re a realtor wishing to provide options to a growing clientele who want smoke-free places to live. This site is designed for you.

Tobacco rots your body

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Some municipalities care about their kids. Niskyuna sets the example for others.

It is great to see that Niskyuna, NY in Northeast Schenectady County by Albany, NY in the center of New York State, cares about its kids. Does your muncipality care about the health of its kids and has taken public health steps to protect them from second hand smoke?

Smoke Free Now recognizes people and organizations who have helped make Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties healthier and happier.

Nationally known anti-tobacco activist, Rick Stoddard, spoke in Genesee and Orleans Counties last Wednesday, April 29th, 2009. He was sponsored by Smoke Free NOW. You can read more about his appearance in the Daily News by clicking here.

Smoking prevalence rates have dropped significantly in New York State in the last 10 years which saves many lives. While increasing taxes and restricting smoking areas has been very controversial, there is no question that public health has improved. GCASA is proud to be the host agency for Smoke Free NOW and to recognize all those who have found for a healthier, more enjoyable community which is smoke free.

For more information about Smoke Free Now contact Chris Lewis at 585-815-1871 or clewis@gcasa.org.

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