We rely on community members’ engagement in our efforts to effect change and we’ve seen firsthand the power of our collective voice. No matter how big or small, every individual contribution makes a difference in helping us realize our tobacco-free goals.
If you are willing to be part of the effort to reduce youth smoking and protect people from the harms of secondhand smoke, we will help you find ways that suit your interests and abilities. There are many ways for community members to help, including (but NOT limited to):
Follow us and Subscribe
Follow us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter so you’ll have our latest updates and action alerts. Encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Raise Awareness
Share tobacco-related information you’ve learned with friends, family members, colleagues and local elected officials. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper about a tobacco-related issue of concern to you. Participate in CDTFC sponsored tobacco awareness events.
Be a Spokesperson
Have a personal story or perspective that’s media-worthy? Share your story about how tobacco has affected your life or the lives of people you care about. Share your concerns about tobacco-related issues with local decision-makers.
Help expand our network
Invite us to speak to a group you belong to — a civic group, faith community, youth organization, community service team — to help us connect with interested community members.
How to Submit a Letter to the Editor
Letters to the Editor Matter
You can help us raise awareness of tobacco-related concerns and potential solutions by sharing your perspective in a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Below are the submission guidelines established by each newspaper, but feel free to contact us for additional information or support.
General Info
- If emailing, please put letter in body of email, NOT as attachment
- Include your name, address, and daytime phone #.
Capital District Daily Newspapers
Times Union:
- 200 word maximum preferred
- Email tuletters@timesunion.com
- Fax to 518-454-5628
- Times Union, Letters to the Editor, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212
Daily Gazette:
- 250 word maximum, shorter preferred
- Email opinion@dailygazette.com
- Or complete this online form
- Daily Gazette, 2345 Maxon Road Extension, PO Box 1090, Schenectady, NY 12301-1090.
The Record:
- Email Pulse of the People at letters@troyrecord.com
- Mail to: The Record, 7 Wells St., Suite 103, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Capital District Weekly and Monthly Newspapers
- Spotlight News publishes three local weekly editions in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Saratoga counties and two monthly publications, Capital District Parent Pages and Capital District Senior Spotlight. Send letters to news@spotlightnews.com or complete their online form.
To the left is a typical tobacco product display. If you don’t use tobacco, you may not even notice, but kids do. Kids see. Kids notice. Kids remember. In fact, kids are more than twice as likely as adults to notice and remember retail tobacco marketing.