Central New Yorkers and others across the country trying to quit smoking may have one less resource if federal funding cuts go through. About three million people have called New York State’s quitline since it began 25 years ago, and smoking rates are among the lowest in the nation.
Gina O'Sullivan, director of the Bureau of Tobacco Control at the New York Department of Health, says unprecedented threats to public health could impact their success.
“Most notably the elimination of the Federal tobacco region and control programs at the CDC and the FDA,” O’Sullivan said. “These federal changes impact tobacco efforts across the country and will be felt in every community. The quit line’s leadership and expertise are more important now than ever.”
O’Sullivan says tobacco control saves lives and money, making it one of the smartest investments made with public dollars. She adds tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death, and young people continue to be most susceptible to tobacco companies’ marketing practices.