On February 12, the Coalition joined tobacco control leaders from around New York State (NYS) in the State capital, Albany, to educate legislators on the critical public health need to have well funded tobacco control and prevention programs.
Tobacco use continues to inflict a terrible toll on NYC residents, especially many at-risk populations. The working poor and vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by tobacco use. Tobacco control programs help those who need it most.
We applaud CVS Caremark’s bold decision to stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products. By making its customers’ health a top priority and refusing to sell these deadly products, CVS can help reduce tobacco use and save lives.
Pharmacies now provide an increasing array of health care, including general check-ups and management of chronic conditions. With this focus on wellness, why should pharmacies sell the only consumer product that when used as intended will kill at least half of its long-term users.
In Boston and San Francisco, pharmacies are already prohibited from selling tobacco products. With more than 700 pharmacies in New York City selling tobacco products, CVS now stands apart by placing people’s health over tobacco profits.
CVS may lose $2 billion in sales in the first year, but that’s a very small portion of their roughly $123 billion annual revenue. Pharmacy retailers earn the lion’s share of their profits from prescription and non-prescription drugs. They stand to increase those profits by strategically strengthening their brand as a promoter of health and health care.
We encourage all pharmacies to follow CVS Caremark’s lead and join the fight against the tobacco epidemic.
This new video features some of our community partners, Asian Americans for Equality, the American Lung Association of the Northeast, the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood and SoBRO (South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation).
They make the case for smoke-free housing and explain why smoke-free housing is the healthier and more economic choice when deciding where to live in New York City.
Eric Lawson, one of the many actors who portrayed the iconic figure that promoted Marlboro cigarettes in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, died on January 10, 2014 of respiratory failure because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by smoking.
He really did smoke Marlboro cigarettes, as many as three packs a day. In the past few years, he spoke out against the danger of smoking and urged kids not to start.
In print and billboard ads, the ruggedly handsome actor embodied the most powerful brand image of the century. The Marlboro Man stands worldwide as the ultimate American cowboy and masculine trademark that made Marlboro one of best-selling cigarette brands in the world.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s report on The Health Consequences of Smoking reminds us just how far we’ve come over the last 50 years in our efforts to control tobacco use and prevent our youth from lighting up. 
Smoking rates have more than halved since 1964 (42 percent compared to 18 percent in 2012). Thanks to our comprehensive tobacco control programs at the national and local levels,eight million Americans have been saved from premature death, and their lives have been extended by an average of almost 20 years.
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report:The Health Consequences of Smoking–50 Years of Progress.
In the last 50 years, we’ve made tremendous progress in reducing the burden of tobacco. Here are some milestones from the last 50 years in tobacco control:
January 11, 2014 marks an important milestone in public health—the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health. That landmark report was the first to definitely link smoking with lung cancer and heart disease.
Dr. Luther Terry, the U.S. Surgeon General who issued the report, said, “[It] hit the country like a bombshell. It was front page news and a lead story on every radio and television station in the United States and many abroad.” The report spurred landmark legislation that required warning labels on cigarettes and prohibited tobacco companies from advertising their deadly products on television. By 1969, 70 percent of Americans believed smoking caused cancer, and 60% believed it caused heart disease.
Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, said that no other single report has had this large an effect on public health.
