ACS CAN Praises Governor Cuomo’s Leadership in Making Tobacco Control a Priority in State Budget

ALBANY, NY –Jan. 12, 2019 – Earlier today, Governor Cuomo announced his Executive Budget proposal will include a sweeping package of tobacco control policies designed to curb tobacco use and protect kids from ever picking up a tobacco product. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) applauds and thanks Governor Cuomo for his leadership. Governor Cuomo’s announcement calls for:

• Raising the age of sale of all tobacco products from 18 to 21
• Prohibiting the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies
• Restricting the display of tobacco products
• Giving the New York State Department of Health authority to restrict the sale of

flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes

• Prohibiting the use of coupons and other discounts on tobacco products
• Requiring licensing of e-cigarette retailers

“New York has a chance to be the nation’s leader in fighting cancer but to do that we must take an aggressive stand against the tobacco industry. Increasing the age for the sale of tobacco products to 21 just makes sense,” said ACS CAN New York senior government relations director Julie Hart.

Across the nation, six states have adopted tobacco 21 policies. Seventeen counties in the state and New York City have also adopted tobacco 21 policies. Approximately 75 percent of state residents live in areas with a tobacco 21 policy, which includes the sale of e-cigarettes.

A December 2016 Report of the US Surgeon General found e-cigarette use among youth and young adults has become a public health concern and that e-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.  In New York, over 27 percent of high school students currently use e-cigarettes.

“Clearly, kids are being enticed by candy-like flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes,” said Hart.

Smoking kills over 28,200 state residents each year.  Smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer, the number one cancer killer in New York for both men and women.  An estimated 13,3800 New Yorkers will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year and an estimated 7,790 will die from the disease.

“While New York has made great strides in fighting tobacco use, we have not won the war against Big Tobacco.  We must do more to protect low income residents from the tobacco industry and prevent our kids from being enticed into an addiction,” said Hart. “We look forward to seeing the Governor’s proposal and encourage the Governor, Senate and Assembly to act on legislation to make New York the nation’s leader in the fight against Big Tobacco.”

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.

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