Smoking Rate Declines Rapidly From 2002 To 2003

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) today announced an 11% decline in the number of smokers in New York City from 2002 to 2003. This decline came after a decade of limited progress in tobacco control in New York City and constitutes the fast-est drop in smoking rates ever recorded nationally. New data collected by the survey unit at Baruch College on tobacco use and a variety of other health issues showed that the proportion of New Yorkers who smoke drop-ped to 19% in 2003, down from 22% in 2002 (survey margin of error +/- 1%). This drop represents 100,000 fewer New Yorkers smoking in 2003 compared with 2002.

DOHMH Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH said, "This is extraordinarily good news for the health of New Yorkers: Among the 100,000 now former smokers, at least 30,000 premature deaths will be prevented. Coordinated policies and actions can stop the nation’s leading epidemic. The increase in the cigarette tax, implementation of the Smoke Free Air Act, our nicotine patch distribution program, and public education about the health risks associated with tobacco have prevented literally tens of thousands of premature deaths."

"Fewer New Yorkers are smoking to-day than at any point in at least 50 years," Dr. Frieden continued. "Most smokers want to quit and, for the first time ever, there are more former smokers than there are smokers in New York City. Despite this remarkable decline, much more needs to be done. With this new data, we will continue to focus our efforts to reduce tobacco use."

Michael Fiore, MD, MPH, Director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention and Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and a nationally recognized expert on kind, cessation, said, "New York City has done all the tight things - reducing exposure to second hand smoke, increasing the excise tax, and helping current smokers quit. As a result, rates of smoking have declined and needless illness and death has been prevented. New York City is a model for what we need to do across America."

Steven A. Schroeder, MD, Distin-guished Professor of Health and Health Care at the University of Cali-fornia at San Francisco’s Department of Medicine and former President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said, "These findings are great news for the health of the public. All too often people are cynical about whether smokers really can quit. Thanks to the courageous leadership of New York City, we know that a combination of cigarette tax increases, clean indoor air laws, and appropriate treatment to aid cessation can translate into major declines in smoking. That, in turn, means healthier people who live longer lives."

"We were delighted to follow New York’s lead by investing in a comprehensive educational campaign to combat inaccurate rhetoric on clean indoor air policies," said Dr. Cheryl Healton, President and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation. "We believe that, as goes New York, so goes the nation. When people know more, they smoke less. So we are tremendously proud to have been a part of this successful education campaign and to celebrate with New Yorkers this enormous public health victory," she said.

Data Highlights:

• Smoking rates declined among all age groups, racial/ethnic groups, all boroughs and among both men and women.

• The proportion of young adults (ages 18-24) who smoke decreased by 22%.

• There were 42,000 fewer smokers in the Bronx; 18,000 fewer in Brook-lyn; 31,000 fewer in Manhattan; 39,000 fewer in Queens; 5,000 fewer in Sta-ten Island.

• Smoking declined 12% among His-panics; 11% among blacks; 10% among Asians; and 8% among whites.

• The proportion of women who smoke decreased by 13%; men by 7%.

• Those who continue to smoke are smoking less.

• These decreases translate into 700 million fewer cigarettes smoked in one year.

• 150,000 fewer New Yorkers are exposed to second-hand smoke on the job, and another 100,000 fewer are be-ing exposed to second-hand smoke at home.

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