American Lung Association Applauds New York State as New Tobacco Control Measures Go Into Effect

New tobacco control measures, included in the New York State budget, went into effect today, May 18, 2020. The provisions prohibit the sale of all tobacco products in pharmacies and end the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes throughout the state. The American Lung Association issued the following statement:

Daniel Fitzgerald, MPH, ICPS, National Senior Manager of Advocacy for The American Lung Association said, “Eliminating tobacco sales from pharmacies reduces the density of tobacco retailers, as well as youth exposure and consumption of tobacco products among people of all ages. Displaying tobacco products and advertisements alongside messages of wellness and health has sent mixed messages for far too long, and today, thanks to the Governor Cuomo and the New York State legislature, we can fully recognize the role of our local pharmacies as a trusted partner in health.”

Michael Seilback, National Assistant Vice President, State Public Policy said “We applaud Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for passing the tobacco control measures in the state budget in early April. We look forward to working together and building upon today’s measures to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products in New York and to increase funding to the tobacco control program. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has stated that people with compromised lung function including former-smokers may be at even greater risk from the coronavirus. Now perhaps more than ever, the state must ensure its tobacco control program is adequately funded.”   

The provisions within the budget go into effect as the State continues to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, which has highlighted the importance of lung health for people of all ages. Covid-19 is a lung disease, and the American Lung Association is uniquely positioned to make a substantial and rapid impact. As the oldest voluntary health organization in the country, we pioneered the model of using education, advocacy and research to virtually eradicate tuberculosis in the United States. With the launch of our $25M COVID-19 Action Initiative, we will use those same principles to ensure our nation can address today’s pandemic and is prepared to meet the challenges of future lung infections like COVID-19.