The third Thursday of November marks the annual observation of the Great American Smokeout® (GASO). To recognize the event, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and City of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh issued a proclamation to the Tobacco Action Coalition of Onondaga County and Tobacco-Free CNY highlighting the day and the progress made in decreasing tobacco use.

Tobacco-Free CNY staff Carrollyn Rivers, Camryn Chaffee, and Karyn Johnson

The City of Syracuse has made great effort to reduce youth tobacco use by reducing tobacco retailers over time, making sure retailers don’t open near schools and parks, and by helping to enforce NYS minimum age to purchase tobacco products through tobacco licensing. Onondaga County, the City of Syracuse, and many towns and villages have made efforts to keep our shared spaces free from secondhand smoke with tobacco-free municipal grounds and parks policies.

Although overall tobacco use rates are low, certain populations continue to smoke at significantly high levels. This decline in smoking rates can be attributed to strong tobacco policies, including public smoking restrictions, high taxation on tobacco products, and comprehensive public health campaigns. However, despite these efforts, some groups, such as lower-income individuals and certain ethnic minorities, still experience high smoking rates. This indicates that there is more work to be done to address the unique challenges these populations face.

The Great American Smokeout^® is an event created by the American Cancer Society to encourage smokers to stop smoking tobacco products for a full 24 hours, with the goal of taking the first step towards cessation. Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death, disease and disability in the United States, harming nearly every organ in the body and leading to increased risk of lung disease, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and many types of cancer. There are over 16 million Americans living with a smoking related disease.

Nicotine is recognized as being one of the strongest addictions one can have, and it may take many quit attempts to be successful, however quitting smoking can have immediate positive effects on the body. Within the first 20 minutes of quitting, health improvements begin to happen. For more information on the benefits of quitting smoking, visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/benefits-of-quitting.html.

Cessation can begin with the participation of GASO and with multiple resources available, it can make the journey to becoming tobacco-free easier. The New York State Quitline is available 24/7 with access to coaches, tips and tricks for quitting, and free nicotine replacement. Visit www.nysmokefree.com or call 1-866-NY-QUITS for assistance to make this the year you quit for good!