State Highlights

 

New York

Monitor

In New York, 16.8% of the adult population (aged 18+ years)—over 2,531,000 individuals—are current cigarette smokers. Across all states, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults ranges from 9.3% to 26.5%. New York ranks 14th among the states.

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Among youth aged 12–17 years, 8.2% smoke in New York. The range across all states is 6.5% to 15.9%. New York ranks 5th among the states.

Among adults aged 35+ years, over 25,400 died as a result of tobacco use per year, on average, during 2000–2004. This represents a smoking-attributable mortality rate of 246.1/100,000. New York's smoking-attributable mortality rate ranks 14th among the states.

Protect

New York has a smoke-free law that provides for strong protection against exposure to secondhand smoke in workplaces and public places.

Among adults who work indoors, the percentage who reported anyone smoking in their work area within the preceding 2 weeks has remained lower in New York than in the nation overall. Currently, New York ranks 18th among the states for workplace exposure, at 6.1%.

Offer

Best Practices estimates 8% of smokers could access quitlines each year. In New York, 6.0% of smokers called their quitline.

The Medicaid fee-for-service program in New York provides only partial coverage for tobacco dependence treatment. New York's Medicaid policy provides coverage for both bupropion and varenicline. New York's Medicaid policy does not provide coverage for individual, group or telephone counseling.

Warn

Smoke-free home rules represent awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke. In New York, as in the nation, an increasing number of families have such a rule.

Currently, 75.3% of New York homes have this rule. New York ranks 30th among the states.

Rating point data were available for 42 states and the District of Columbia. Best Practices recommendations translate into an average of 800 targeted rating points (TRPs) in effective youth and 1,200 gross rating points (GRPs) in effective general audience anti-tobacco media campaigns per quarter. New York's major media market(s) aired an average of 395 youth TRPs and 2389 general audience GRPs per quarter in 2008. New York ranks 2nd among the states for the number of youth TRPs and general audience GRPs aired.

Enforce

New York allows local regulation of tobacco industry promotions, sampling and display of tobacco products in commercial establishments.

New York requires all establishments selling tobacco products over the counter and by vending machine to be licensed. Currently, 38 states require licensure for both over the counter and vending machine sales.

Raise

New York maintains a $2.75 per pack tax and ranks 3rd among the states.

New York has a minimum price law. Wholesalers must mark up cigarettes by 3 percent and retailers must mark up cigarettes by at least 7 percent. This law has the effect of limiting the amount of discounting that can be offered through coupons and other types of sales promotions.

Approximately 15% of the annual revenue generated from state excise taxes and settlement payments would fund New York's tobacco control program at the Best Practices recommended amount. However, in 2007, New York's funding for tobacco control was 34.8% of the recommended level. New York ranks 16th among the states.