WHAT’S NEW

Smoke- and vape-free parks save lungs, lives and the planet
The City of Schenectady became the most recent Capital District community to pass a local law that will help save lungs, lives and the planet by prohibiting smoking and vaping of both tobacco and cannabis in all city parks. Inhaling secondhand smoke from tobacco and cannabis, and secondhand aerosols from e-cigarettes isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a health hazard. Tobacco and cannabis smoke and vape aerosols all contain chemicals known to cause cancer in humans. For people with asthma and certain other chronic conditions, even brief exposure can have serious and life-threatening consequences. Cigarette butts, the most littered item in the world, are non-biodegradable and toxic to animals, people and the environment. E-cigarette waste may pose an even greater danger. Disposable vapes and the pods used in reusable devices, contain remnants...

Take Down Tobacco Day 2023
Today is Take Down Tobacco Day! This annual day of action sponsored by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, empowers people to stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry. Our Reality Check program teamed up with the SADD club members at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School to raise awareness about how tobacco companies try to attract youth with brightly-colored packaging, sweet flavors and inexpensive products, often selling them in stores near schools, parks, and playgrounds. We are proud to stand with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and thousands of young people across the country to say we've seen enough flavored tobacco products and tobacco marketing in our communities. To learn more about Take Down Tobacco Day visit: https://www.takedowntobacco.org/

Flavored tobacco products shouldn’t be sweet, cheap and easy to get
It's a consensus. Every smoker, former smoker and nonsmoker who stopped by our table at the Empire State Plaza concourse agreed that they didn't want young people to ever start smoking. Nearly everyone also agreed that flavored tobacco products should not be available to addict young people. One current smoker, pictured above left, expressed wanting to quit and was so passionate about wanting to prevent young people from tobacco addiction that he asked everyone who walked by to sign postcards agreeing that "Tobacco products shouldn't be sweet, cheap and easy to get." In a few short hours, 36 people from Buffalo, Albany, Brooklyn and places in between, signed those postcards. Many others stopped to talk with us about wanting to quit or wanting their loved ones to quit. One nurse whose...
