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One Million Dreams Sets the Pace for a Healthier Smoke Free New York
Statewide Tobacco Use Prevention Partners Plan March 18 Legislative Information Day
The pace to a healthier New York has been set: one million fewer smokers in New York State by the year 2010. Reaching this milepost is vital to alleviating the social and economic burden caused by tobacco use in New York State, say officials at the New York State Department of Health's Tobacco Control Program.
"One Million Dreams," a legislature awareness day supporting one million fewer smokers in NYS by 2010, will take place on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, from 10am until 2pm, at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Information and educational displays will be set-up indoors on the South Concourse and outdoors on the plaza. Members of the legislature, their staffs, and the general public are encouraged to attend.
One Million Dreams is being coordinated by partners of the NYS Tobacco Control Program, including Reality Check Youth Action Partners, Tobacco Free Community Partnerships, Tobacco Free Schools Partners, and NYS Cessation Center partners.
Meghan DuBois O'Connor, Maureen Kenney, Makeda James, Mathew Pathrose, Anthony Massarelli, and Diane Moore will be traveling to Albany participate in the event representing the POW'R Against Tobacco Coalition, the POW'R To Be Tobacco Free Cessation Center, and Putnam County Reality Check of the Hudson Valley Tobacco Control Partners.
The tobacco awareness day staged in April 2007 by Reality Check Youth Action Partners brought youth from all across NYS to Albany, and 2008 promises even more, demonstrating how a range of evidence based programs are coordinated to address an ever more urgent need.
The impact of smoking begins in the family. Over 25,000 New Yorkers die every year from disease linked to smoking. Half a million more suffer from a serious smoking caused illness. Among youth who are regular smokers, one-third will face premature death caused by their addiction.
But, the economic impact of smoking extends out to everyone in New York State, where Medicaid costs directly related to smoking total $5.4 Billion annually, and every household pays $904 in state and federal taxes to cover smoking-caused medical expenses.
At the same time, the tobacco industry spends an estimated $444 Million annually to push cigarette sales in New York State, and a total $13.4 Billion nationwide.
To realize one million fewer smokers statewide, New York's tobacco use prevention partners are focusing on changes in the way communities respond to tobacco use, changes in how youth respond to tobacco company marketing tactics, changes in how our schools respond to smoking on school grounds, and changes in how health care providers respond to their patients who smoke.
"In New York State, the youth of Reality Check are working hard to eliminate tobacco company advertising, sponsorship, and promotions from the magazines that they read, the movies that they see, the stores that they shop at, and the local community events that they visit. A million fewer smokers is not just a dream. With strong community support it will be a reality!" says Diane Moore, coordinator of Putnam Reality Check, a New York State Tobacco Control Program Youth Action Initiative.
A majority of smokers want to quit, but face what can seem like insurmountable hurdles from the addictive power of tobacco, from a health care system that is under-trained in tobacco cessation technique, and from a tobacco industry that continues to portray tobacco use as attractive and socially desirable while propagating promotional practices that undercut public health interventions proven to reduce the number of adults and children who smoke.
One million dreams represents a new and expanding awareness that, with the support of their community, every smoker can face his or her habit and quit for good, and every child can stand up against a global tobacco industry and refuse tobacco forever.
The One Million Dreams tobacco awareness day will give lawmakers and their staffs the information necessary to respond to the impact of tobacco use on New York State's budget and health care system. Displays will show how tobacco use prevention partners work all across the state using evidence based strategies to inform, educate and involve parents, employers and community leaders in the effort to set the pace for the nation and attain the goal of one million fewer smokers in NYS by 2010.
For more information about the One Million Dreams Legislature Awareness Day, contact Anthony Massarelli at 914- 347-2094 x.24 or amassarelli@alanys.org.
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