Cuts necessary, but not to anti-tobacco programs

IAs reported in the Oct. 21 Gazette, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said, “New York needs long-term solutions that don’t make an already bad situation catastrophic.” I agree. While legislators seriously look to cut state programs, they should consider the long-term effects of their decisions. The physical and financial health of New Yorkers depends on it.

Tobacco use and dependence is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in New York and the United States. Due to the efforts of the state Tobacco Control Program, youth and adult smoking rates in New York have decreased dramatically in the last six years (a nearly 40 percent reduction for youths), resulting in saved lives and health care costs. Research confirms that for every $1 spent on comprehensive tobacco control, there is a $3 savings in tobacco caused health care expenditures. The experience of other states, including Massachusetts and Minnesota, should forewarn us to the risks of cutting tobacco-control funding. In both states, when funding was cut, the progress made in reducing youth smoking eroded dramatically.

The fact is, more than 570,000 New Yorkers suffer from serious smoking-caused disease, with medical costs of $22.4 million per day, or $8.2 billion annually. An ounce of prevention is, in this case, worth far more than a pound of cure. A quick fix today may lead to increased costs — in lives and dollars — to the state in the near and far future.

Jeanie Orr
Niskayuna

The writer is project coordinator for the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition.