ROCHESTER, NY | March 5, 2026
Local public health leaders met with New York State (NYS) lawmakers last week to urge stronger protections against rising nicotine use and to reinforce the need for continued investment in tobacco prevention. Representatives from the Smoking and Health Action Coalition of Livingston and Monroe Counties (SHAC) met with staff from the offices of Senator Jeremy Cooney, Senator Samara Brouk, Senator Pamela Helming, Assemblymembers Harry Bronson, and Sarah Clark to outline community-level progress in reducing tobacco use and underscore how tobacco prevention and treatment efforts in reduce illness, disability, and death related to commercial tobacco use. This lifesaving, state-funded work is supported locally and around the state by the New York State Tobacco Control Program.
According to the New York State (NYS) Department of Health, the state’s average adult smoking rates declined over the period from 2020 to 2023, dropping from 12% to 9.8%. This progress reflects in part, the impact of the state’s Tobacco Control Program. Even with this improvement, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease, with 1.4 million adults in NYS identifying as cigarette smokers. Both counties SHAC covers have an adult smoking rate above the state average (11.8% in Monroe County and 19% in Livingston County).
Nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes further threaten public health
During the meeting, the group discussed the growing popularity of nicotine pouches and continued appeal of e-cigarettes, particularly among youth, poses a serious threat to future progress. These products increase the risk of nicotine addiction among young people. In addition, recent cuts to federal tobacco prevention and control programs could reverse decades of hard-won gains.
“There is such a normality in using vapes between students” said Winnie Yang, an East Irondequoit student. “From the odor infused in the school bathrooms, to the cigarettes of the early 2000s high school movies, to the current internet culture, the usage of tobacco products is seen and emphasized as the norm.”
The firsthand student perspective underscores why SHAC continues to push for stronger community protections. “We are grateful that many of our local municipalities throughout Monroe and Livingston Counties are adopting comprehensive tobacco retailer policies and tobacco-free outdoors policies to reduce tobacco exposure, but there is still much more work to be done—not only in our catchment area but across the state,” Said Lindsay Kremers, SHAC Community Engagement Coordinator. “Education is key, and using our voices to make a change in our communities is vital. Speaking with elected officials is a meaningful, actionable step.”
Tobacco prevention and treatment #SavesLivesSavesMoney
The NYS Tobacco Control Program has demonstrated a remarkable return on investment, with New York seeing a $15 return for every dollar spent on the program.
About The Smoking and Health Action Coalition of Livingston and Monroe Counties
About Smoking and Health Action Coalition of Livingston and Monroe Counties: The Smoking and Health Action Coalition of Livingston and Monroe Counties (SHAC) is a NYS Bureau of Tobacco Control grant-funded program held by American Lung Association. SHAC works to increase support for New York State’s tobacco-free norm through youth action and community engagement. Efforts are evidence-based, policy-driven, and cost-effective approaches that decrease tobacco use, motivate adult smokers to quit, and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. Visit www.Smokingandhealth.org for more information, or contact Lindsay Kremers at Lindsay [email protected].
