Smoking and Health Action Coalition

Smoking & Health Action Coalition (SHAC) is a Community Partnership of the New York State Tobacco Control Program.

Vision and Mission: The Vision of the New York Tobacco Control Program (NY TCP) is to have all New Yorkers live in a tobacco free society. Our Mission is to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates and alleviate the social and economic burden caused by tobacco use in New York State.

• Cigarette use alone results in an estimated 438,000 deaths each year in the US, including 25,500 deaths in New York State.
• More than half a million New Yorkers currently suffer from serious smoking caused diseases, at a cost of $8.17 billion in health care expenditures annually.

Goals:

• Promote cessation from tobacco use.
• Decrease the social acceptability of tobacco use.
• Prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults.
• Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.

Objectives:

• Decrease the number of retail stores that sell tobacco.
• Increase the number of retail stores that have a written policy prohibiting the visibility/display of tobacco products.
• Increase the number of local laws, regulations and voluntary policies that prohibit tobacco use in outdoor areas including public parks, beaches, play grounds, clubs, college campuses and outdoor areas of businesses, including hospitals and other medical facilities, other grounds, recreation areas and in proximity to building entry ways.
• Increase the percent of adult smokers and youth who live in households where smoking is prohibited.