To the editor:

The Heart Network and its tobacco control and cessation partners across the North Country have long argued that investing in programs and strategies that help people quit smoking have ramifications that extend far beyond improved health for individuals. Now, a new study released by the New York State Department of Health provides quantitative proof that these investments have a profound positive impact on public health.

The study focuses on the state’s Tobacco Control Program and uses two metrics, both collected between 2001 and 2019: smoking-attributable health care expenditures and deaths associated with smoking statewide. In short, the study shows that for every $1 invested in tobacco control, smoking-attributable health care expenditures were approximately $15 less.

Over the course of the study, New York State amassed $13.2 billion in savings in smoking-attributable health care expenditures — a staggering figure. The study also shows that the state’s tobacco control programming saved nearly 42,000 lives, and collectively extended the lives of former smokers by over 672,000 years.

The Heart Network and its partners see the impact of investing in tobacco control and cessation firsthand. In recent years, through the North Country Nicotine Consultants collaboration with Glens Falls Hospital, we’ve worked to connect smokers with health care providers for nicotine cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy. As a partner to the state’s Advancing Tobacco Free Communities program, we’re helping providers gain access to evidence-based treatment that are proven to dramatically increase a person’s chance of quitting successfully.

New York State offers free resources to help smokers quit. We encourage you to speak with your provider and take advantage of the services provided by NY SmokeFree — free coaching and resources, whenever you need them: call 1-866-NY-QUITS, text QUITNOW to 333888 or visit nysmokefree.com.

Investing in control and cessation works. We applaud New York State for prioritizing not just the health of individuals, but our communities as a whole.

Sincerely,

Brielle Carnright

Tobacco Project Coordinator

The Heart Network

Saranac Lake