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But 'Staten Island Quits' initiative wants to reduce borough's tobacco use even more
Jump to full article: Staten Island (NY) Advance, 2009-11-10
Author: JENNIFER GIMBEL ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
Intro: Although Staten Island's smoking rate dropped by 3.5 percent between 2007 and 2008, it's still the highest in the city. With the goal of knocking it down even further, the campaign "Staten Island Quits" continues to battle smoking in the borough. A proclamation ceremony yesterday at Staten Island Borough Hall, St. George, celebrated the success of the program and honored participating individuals and businesses.
The ceremony opened with Borough President James Molinaro proclaiming Nov. 19 to be the 34th annual Great American Smokeout, a public awareness campaign that challenges smokers to put down their cigarettes and resist the urge to light up for the day. "Our mission has to be to stop our youth from smoking," said Molinaro.
"Staten Island Quits" is in its third year of helping Islanders quit smoking and preventing youth from starting. Funded by the NYC Coalition for a Smoke-free City and founded by the American Cancer Society, the program uses multiple strategies to fight tobacco use. From point-of-purchase campaigns to working with the Parks Department to publicize and enforce smoke-free rules in playgrounds, the campaign is trying to protect youth from the perils of smoking.
"Our ultimate goal is that one day, people will walk off the ferry and see a sign that says, 'Welcome to Staten Island -- a Smoke-free Borough,'" announced Alberta Brescia, regional vice president of the American Cancer Society Staten Island Region.
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