St. Joseph’s Health Applauds New Health Warnings on the 20th Anniversary of Clean Indoor Air Act

Syracuse, NY – Tobacco experts at St. Joseph’s Health applaud the New York State Department of Health’s announcement that newly-required corrective statements describing the health effects and addictiveness of smoking must remain in place for 21 months.

These statements started appearing in most stores that sell tobacco this summer. They are the result of a civil racketeering lawsuit against the largest U.S. cigarette companies. The court order imposed the signage as the last of several corrective remedies, rounding out steps to hold the tobacco industry accountable for strategies and marketing practices that led to addiction, debilitating disease, and premature death for millions of people.

“People deserve the truth. The corrective statements appearing at retailers are instrumental in educating people of the dangers of tobacco use,” said Kristen Richardson, RN, CTTS, Director of the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems at St. Joseph’s Health. “Awareness and persistence are key to mitigating this addiction.”

The corrective statements include the following:

• Smoking cigarettes causes numerous diseases and on average 1,200 American deaths every day;
• The nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive and that cigarettes have purposely been designed to create and sustain addiction;
• So-called light, low-tar and natural cigarettes are just as harmful as regular cigarettes;
• Secondhand smoke causes disease and death in people who do not smoke.

This announcement comes as the New York State Clean Indoor Air Act celebrates its 20^th anniversary.

“It’s hard to believe that 20 years have already passed since New York became just the second state in the country to adopt a comprehensive indoor ban on smoking,” said Richardson.

At that time, the adult smoking rate was 21.6% and youth smoking rate was a whopping 20%. Now – adult smoking rates are 12.8% and cigarette use among high school students is at an all-time low of 2.4%. However, we are facing an epidemic of youth vaping, with electronic cigarette use among high school students at 22.5% statewide.

“Awareness and persistence are key to mitigating this addiction,” said Richardson. “We know that every gain or win is followed by the discovery of loopholes and new products to fill the void. We cannot be complacent; we need to stay vigilant. We know that strong and effective laws can protect youth from nicotine addiction by reducing access and exposure to tobacco products.”

In 2020, New York State ended the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies and implemented bans on the sale of flavored vapor products, the redemption of coupons and multi-pack discounts on tobacco and vapor products, and the exterior display of tobacco product ads near schools.

Continued surveillance of all tobacco product use among youth is important given the new products that emerge on the market.

The CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems provides trainings on strategies for treating tobacco use and dependence, training clinicians and healthcare staff on addiction, emerging products (like electronic cigarettes), cessation medications, the 5As and how to help patients make a quit plan, and resources.

When smokers team up with their healthcare provider, long-term quit rates more than double with profound benefits for current and long-term health at any age, even among heavy and lifelong smokers.

For help quitting:

• Talk to your healthcare provider.
• New Yorkers of all ages can contact the New York State Smokers' Quitline at 1-866-NYQUITS (1-866-697-8487) or visit http://www.nysmokefree.com for free and confidential smoking and vaping quit services and to determine their eligibility to receive free starter kits of Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
• Individuals aged 13 to 24 can text "DropTheVape" to 88709 to receive age-appropriate quit assistance. The Department of Health continues to provide quitting and cessation support for youth and young adults to receive free, anonymous, and confidential texting services.

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About St. Joseph’s Health

St. Joseph’s Health is non-profit health care system based in Syracuse, NY. St. Joseph’s has been an innovative leader in health care since our founding in 1869 as the first hospital open to the public in the city of Syracuse. Offering primary, specialty and home care, a Magnet-recognized hospital, and collaboration with community partners, St. Joseph's Health advances the well-being of the communities we serve through an expanding range of services to ensure our patients achieve optimum long-term health. It is ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, a designated Primary Stroke Center and a U.S. News & World Report “Best Regional Hospital.” St. Joseph’s Health is affiliated with St. Joseph’s Physicians, and is a member of Trinity Health.

About Trinity Health

Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 115,000 colleagues and nearly 26,000 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 25 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 88 hospitals, 131 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 125 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, its annual operating revenue is $20.2 billion with $1.2 billion returned to its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.