Program Components
Community-Based Programs
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships work to change the community environment to support the tobacco-free norm. Partnerships engage local stakeholders, educate community leaders and the public, and mobilize the community to strengthen tobacco-related policies to restrict the use and availability of tobacco products and tobacco product promotion and limit opportunities for exposure to secondhand smoke.
Youth Action Partners
Youth action partners train youth to become activists in the movement to change community norms regarding tobacco use. These programs engage middle- and high school-aged youth in activities aimed at deglamorizing and de-normalizing tobacco use in their communities.
Tobacco Free School Policy Partners
Tobacco Free School Policy partners provide resources and support to schools around the state seeking to develop, implement, and enforce effective tobacco free school policies.
Media and Counter-Marketing
The tobacco education media campaign includes television, radio, outdoor, print and internet advertising, with the goals of educating New Yorkers about the health risks of tobacco use and the dangers of secondhand smoke, motivating tobacco users to stop, and promoting use of the New York State Smokers' Quitline. Counter-marketing efforts seek to expose the manipulative and deceptive marketing practices of the tobacco industry, deglamorize tobacco use, and build and sustain a tobacco-free norm.
Tobacco Use Cessation in New York State
The multi-pronged cessation approach in New York State works to change the environment in which New Yorkers live, work and play, with the goal of driving tobacco users to quit. Most users quit on their own and, for those who want or need help, effective treatments are available.
Cessation Centers
Cessation centers work with health-care organizations and providers to implement systems to screen patients for tobacco use and prompt providers to offer advice and assistance to quit.
The New York State Smokers' Quitline
Provides free nicotine patches, gum or lozenges for eligible NYS smokers, trained quitline specialists offering coaching and encouragement for quit attempts, information about local stop smoking programs and informational taped messages to people who:
- call the toll-free number: 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or
- visit http://www.nysmokefree.com/newweb/default.aspx
Training and Staff Development
Free trainings are available to NYS-funded tobacco-control partners on topics such as: Bringing Partners to the Table, Engaging Decision Makers, Social Marketing, and Media Training.Surveillance, Evaluation and Research
The Tobacco Control Program is supported by a surveillance and evaluation team that oversees evaluation of funded programs, tracks trends in tobacco control outcomes, and collaborates with an outside vendor that conducts comprehensive program evaluation.