Three new Report Data released Thursday, June 1 by the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Control suggests ongoing tobacco control policies are having a positive impact, health officials said.
Impacts seen so far include a decline in use of all tobacco products among middle and high school students.
The New York Youth Tobacco Survey, a school-based survey of middle and high school students, found that smoking among high school students fell from 27.1 percent in 2000 to 2.1 percent in 2022.
Their rate of e-cigarette use, or vaping, fell from a high of 27.4 percent in 2018 to 18.7 percent in 2022, the report found.
Health officials also touted another Report It specifically examines the impact of tobacco control policies adopted in 2019 and 2020.
According to the report, sales and use of flavored vaping products declined across New York following the 2019 ban on flavored vaping products and raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21.
In recent years, state lawmakers have also imposed a 20 percent tax on e-cigarette products, and the American Lung Association reports that every 10 percent increase in cigarette prices reduces consumption by adults by about 4 percent and by teens by about 3 percent. 7%.
The state’s 2024 budget increases the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 to $5.35, the highest cigarette tax in the country.
Health officials also cited policy changes enacted in 2020 aimed at making it harder for teens to access tobacco, especially vaping products.
These include ending the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes in pharmacies, ending discounts on tobacco products, and stopping the delivery and delivery of vaping products to private homes.
“These reports provide strong evidence that our policies aimed at improving health outcomes by restricting the purchase of harmful tobacco products are effective,” Dr. James McDonald, acting state health commissioner, said in a statement.
“The purpose of banning the sale of flavored vaping products and restricting the sale of certain other tobaccos is to prevent young people from starting deadly addictions and to encourage adults to quit,” he continued.
“We’ve made progress, but more needs to be done in terms of public education and policy to address this public health threat, including continued push to ban flavored tobacco products like menthol.”
For more information on the Tobacco Control Program, visit the New York State Department of Health website.
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