New York City's bold antitobacco programme

Abstract

On Jan 2, Mayor Michael R Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden announced new figures to show the tremendous success of their comprehensive antitobacco programme for New York City's population. The new data from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed the lowest ever recorded smoking rate in high-school students. Only 8·5% of a representative sample of 9080 students from 87 public high schools in New York reported they were smokers, down from 17·6% in 2001, before the city's concerted antitobacco efforts started. The survey by self-administered anonymous questionnaire is held every 2 years. By comparison, the last available US national rate of smoking among adolescents derived from a similar survey in 2005 is 23%. A similar rate of about 20% has been reported in the UK.New York City's impressive programme began in 2002, with increased taxes, a measure that has had an important effect on young people in particular. In 2003, the New York City Smoke Free Air Act of 2002, came into force with a ban on smoking in all indoor workplaces, including bars and restaurants. A hard-hitting antitobacco advertising campaign was launched on billboards, in the subway, and on television showing the devastating health effects of smoking with drastic examples. The Quitline, which offers advice by telephone and via a website, and includes free 2-week courses of nicotine-replacement therapy to eligible smokers, complemented the programme to ensure that those who wanted to give up smoking were given the best possible chances to do so.In young people, easy access to tobacco products is directly associated with use. In New York City, the Youth Tobacco Enforcement and Prevention Program employs 15–17-year-olds to work undercover to expose retailers who sell to underage smokers. 16 000 such inspections were done in 2007, and 89% of the 11 000 licensed businesses complied with the rules.New York City's programme is not just impressive. These figures show that it actually works. Other initiatives should take note. If young people can be prevented from starting smoking, the world will get a large step closer to becoming tobacco-free. On Jan 2, Mayor Michael R Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden announced new figures to show the tremendous success of their comprehensive antitobacco programme for New York City's population. The new data from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed the lowest ever recorded smoking rate in high-school students. Only 8·5% of a representative sample of 9080 students from 87 public high schools in New York reported they were smokers, down from 17·6% in 2001, before the city's concerted antitobacco efforts started. The survey by self-administered anonymous questionnaire is held every 2 years. By comparison, the last available US national rate of smoking among adolescents derived from a similar survey in 2005 is 23%. A similar rate of about 20% has been reported in the UK. New York City's impressive programme began in 2002, with increased taxes, a measure that has had an important effect on young people in particular. In 2003, the New York City Smoke Free Air Act of 2002, came into force with a ban on smoking in all indoor workplaces, including bars and restaurants. A hard-hitting antitobacco advertising campaign was launched on billboards, in the subway, and on television showing the devastating health effects of smoking with drastic examples. The Quitline, which offers advice by telephone and via a website, and includes free 2-week courses of nicotine-replacement therapy to eligible smokers, complemented the programme to ensure that those who wanted to give up smoking were given the best possible chances to do so. In young people, easy access to tobacco products is directly associated with use. In New York City, the Youth Tobacco Enforcement and Prevention Program employs 15–17-year-olds to work undercover to expose retailers who sell to underage smokers. 16 000 such inspections were done in 2007, and 89% of the 11 000 licensed businesses complied with the rules. New York City's programme is not just impressive. These figures show that it actually works. Other initiatives should take note. If young people can be prevented from starting smoking, the world will get a large step closer to becoming tobacco-free.