2017 marks the 15th anniversary of New York City’s landmark Smoke-Free Air Act of 2002. As we plan for a year-long celebration starting in June 2017 through May 2018, here’s a Year in Review as we say adieu to 2016 and look back on highlights from the NYC Smoke-Free team.
Thank you to all of NYC Smoke-Free’s community partners, Reality Check student leaders, dedicated team, the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Tobacco Control, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and many, many more for your support and efforts to help end the tobacco epidemic!
January 3– In advance of the White House Convening on Smoke-Free Housing, WABC-TV reairs a 15-minute discussion on the urgent need for smoke-free housing for all New Yorkers with NYC Smoke-Free and American Cancer Society on Up Close with Bill Ritter.
January 5 – Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Brooklyn Borough Board – representing the borough’s 18 community boards – passes a resolution in support of smoke-free housing.
January 6 – At HUD’s invitation, NYC Smoke-Free travels to Washington, D.C. to join Secretary Castro and the Surgeon General at the White House Convening on Smoke-Free Housing to discuss the urgent need for smoke-free affordable and public housing as well as share NYC Smoke-Free’s experience in implementing smoke-free housing protections.
January 17 – NYC Smoke-Free joins NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Tish James, Council Member Vincent Gentile, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, New York Senator Brad Hoylman, and Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal for a rally to say #NoEcigs4Kids.
February 9 – NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leaders and community advocates joined our public health colleagues from all over the Empire State in Albany to educate legislators on the importance of comprehensive tobacco control.
New York State Senator Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn) recognizes NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leader Cedric Small with an official Senate proclamation for his efforts to help end the tobacco epidemic.
Queens community leader and NYC Smoke-Free advocate Phil Konigsberg recognized for his long-time smoke-free advocacy
February 25 – At the invitation of the New York City Council, NYC Smoke-Free joins the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and other public health organizations to testify on the tobacco-free stadiums and ballparks bill as well as the dangers of hookah tobacco before the Council’s health committee.
March 2 – A major, precedent-setting case law on smoke-free housing protections is published! In the New York State Supreme Court decision by Justice Arthur Engoron, he cites NYC Smoke-Free literature and materials on smoke-free housing and writes “if you want to avail yourself of the right to rent out residences, you assume the obligation to insure that your tenants are not forced to smell and breathe carcinogenic toxins.”
March 11 – NYC Smoke-Free joins Asian Americans for Equality, Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health as well as other community and public health organizations to discuss comprehensive tobacco control strategies and collaborations to address tobacco-related health disparities in New York City’s Asian communities.
March 16 – NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check celebrates 2016 Kick Butts Day, an international day of action against tobacco sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Thank you to @RitchieTorres office for joining us at @AMS_Ursula for Kick Butts Day. #ikickbutts #notmoretobacco pic.twitter.com/KSLzBHJqT9
— Guillermo Flores (@GFJ22) March 23, 2016
March 29 – In partnership with the New York State Tobacco Control Program, NYC Smoke-Free educates on the the importance of smoke-free housing via attention-grabbing advertising campaigns.
March 31 – Movies should not be an outlet for Big Tobacco marketing. NYC Smoke-Free hosts a Reality Check letter-writing write-a-thon at High School for Math, Science, and Engineering to urge film studio executives to keep tobacco out of youth-rated movies.
April 13 – NYC Smoke-Free kicks off community engagement events highlighting our #NotMoreTobacco campaign to help end tobacco proliferation in NYC neighborhoods.
April 16 – The New York Times runs a half-page feature on smoke-free housing in its Sunday Real Estate section with reminders from NYC Smoke-Free that smoke-free housing protects the most vulnerable.
April 26 – NYC Smoke-Free joins the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC NYC) and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for our “Two Shades of Green” partners initaitive to expand smoke-free affordable housing.
April 29 – New York real estate magazine Habitat spotlights smoke-free housing and highlights the work of NYC Smoke-Free.
May 2 – NYC Smoke-Free participates in Crain’s annual New York Real Estate Conference to make the case for expanding smoke-free affordable housing.
May 13 – NYC Smoke-Free CUNY Service Corps members presented on their work addressing tobacco proliferation in NYC neighborhoods at CUNY’s 3rd Annual Service Conference.
Our #CUNYServiceCorps members repping @NYCSmokeFree at the 3rd Annual Service Conference this morning. #NYCSmokeFree pic.twitter.com/FmsF9k1Frj
— Danielle Hosein (@DanielleHosein1) May 13, 2016
May 26 to 31 – Celebrating the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “World No Tobacco Day,” NYC Smoke-Free holds a rally outside Duane Reade headquarters to urge the pharmacy giant to get out of the deadly tobacco business and community engagement events on the toll of tobacco proliferation in NYC neighborhoods as well as joins our community and public health partners to kick-off “New York Kicks Butts” week sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
June 6– NYC Smoke-Free joins the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) for “Still At Risk: A Convening on Tobacco Hazards in NYC” and presents on topics including smoke-free housing, tobacco-related health disparities in NYC’s most vulnerable communities, hookah, and strategies to engage youth and community partners.
June 22– In partnership with the New York State Tobacco Control Program, NYC Smoke-Free launches a round of attention-grabbing advertising campaigns on our key tobacco control initiatives.
I picked up my copy of 2day’s issue of @amNewYork featuring an ad wrap from @NYCSmokeFree. Make sure u get urs too! pic.twitter.com/vg3BhRCNmf
— Danielle Hosein (@DanielleHosein1) June 22, 2016
July 12– NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check welcomed a dozen student leaders as part of our summer program!
July 12– Dozens of NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leaders attend statewide and national youth summits in Cazenovia, New York and Orlando, Florida!
July 20– NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leaders helped kick-off smoke-free movies at Prospect Park with the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
July 29– NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leaders conduct presentations on the toll of tobacco proliferation to YMCA summer campers in Harlem.
August 8– Planning for NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student kick-off begins!
August 16– NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leaders have their opinion pieces on the toll of tobacco proliferation in their neighborhoods published in half a dozen local media outlets!
September 1– “Why are pharmacies still selling tobacco?!”
September 6– NYC Smoke-Free held a Chinese media press conference highlighting the extraordinary summer efforts of our Chinese American Reality Check student leaders and their projects on tobacco proliferation in their neighborhoods as well as the dangers of secondhand smoke and tobacco-related disparities in the Chinese American community.
September 19– NYC Smoke-Free joined our Chinese community and public health partners in Chinatown to launch the #SmokeFreeChinatown initiative to tackle tobacco-related health disparities in NYC’s Chinatown communities.
September 26– NYC Smoke-Free launches our new health equity and fair housing focused campaign to help expand access to smoke-free affordable housing.
October 3– NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leader Justin Lara featured in NBC “Today Show”!
October 6– NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check student leaders in Queens represent!!!
October 7– NYC Smoke-Free hosts second year medical students from Weil Cornell Medical School’s Department of Health Policy and Research to learn about New York’s comprehensive tobacco control efforts.
October 24– NYC Smoke-Free debuts our new student animation project!
October 27– NYC Smoke-Free participates in City & State magazine’s “State Of New York” health forum and ensures comprehensive tobacco control and addressing tobacco-related health disparities are part of the discussion.
October 29– NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check holds our student kick-off!
November 1– NYC Smoke-Free attends Crain’s New York Business’ annual “NYC Summit” to promote smoke-free housing.
November 10– Meet the Manhattan student leadership council for NYC Smoke-Free | Reality Check!
November 17– NYC Smoke-Free celebrates the American Cancer Society’s annual “Great American Smokeout,”
Our @AMS_Ursula Reality Check leaders prepping tobacco trivia for #GASO to educate their peers on the harms of tobacco use #NYCSmokeFree pic.twitter.com/cjv6WnAeFu
— Danielle Hosein (@DanielleHosein1) November 16, 2016
Thank u ED Alcee James for “Quitting like a Champion-the Sports Foundation signed a TFO at #gaso2016 event #NYCSmokeFree #SavelivesSavemoney pic.twitter.com/9GwRjo0fET
— Guillermo Flores (@GFJ22) November 17, 2016
November 30– NYC Smoke-Free applauds new HUD action to protect families in public housing from tobacco pollution.
December 1– Our Town / New York Press newspapers features the successes of NYC Smoke-Free’s efforts to expand smoke-free housing in Manhattan and beyond.
December 19– NYC Smoke-Free helps North Shore Towers to become New York’s largest co-op to go smoke-free!
