{"id":1541,"date":"2018-02-01T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T14:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1541"},"modified":"2018-02-01T08:54:57","modified_gmt":"2018-02-01T13:54:57","slug":"tobacco-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1541","title":{"rendered":"Tobacco 21"},"content":{"rendered":"

Envisioning a Tobacco-Free Future for Onondaga County\u00a0<\/em><\/h1>\n

By Deb\u00a0Mendzef<\/em><\/p>\n

Effective Jan. 1, 2018, Onondaga County became the 15th municipality in New York state to ban the sale of tobacco-related products to anyone younger than 21 years old. Deb Mendzef, coordinator for the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems, located at St. Joseph\u2019s Health Hospital, and the woman behind the local Tobacco 21 workgroup, explains the significance of this community-supported initiative. <\/em><\/p>\n

We all deserve to live in a community free from tobacco addiction and the risks associated with it. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the organizations and individuals of the Tobacco 21 workgroup, Onondaga County is one step closer to a tobacco-free future. Together, members of the group worked for more than a year to educate elected officials and the community on a regular basis about the importance of supporting Tobacco 21 legislation, which sought to raise the minimum age for sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes and other tobacco-related products to 21.<\/p>\n

The legal age for purchasing tobacco products in Onondaga County had been 19 since 2009, when the Onondaga County legislature voted to increase the age from 18. Nearly a decade later, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney signed Tobacco 21 legislation into local law on Dec. 26, 2017, raising the minimum age for sale to 21, effective Jan. 1, 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision is ultimately about public health,\u201d Joanie said. \u201cThe data is clear and illustrates that when people avoid smoking before they are 21, they are significantly less likely to ever start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death. Nearly half of all adult smokers in Onondaga County are young adults, ages 18 to 24. The annual health care costs attributed to smoking are upwards of $10 billion in New York state.<\/p>\n

Kristy Smorol, communications director for the American Heart Association\u2019s Syracuse office and member of the Tobacco 21 workgroup, agrees with the county executive. Kristy said close to onethird of deaths from coronary heart disease are linked to smoking and secondhand smoke, noting that smoking is the primary risk factor for young people. She is confident that as more localities implement measures such as Tobacco 21, these statistics will improve.<\/p>\n

Raising the minimum age to 21 does work to reduce the number of young smokers. In 2005, Needham, Mass., experienced a 47 percent drop in the rate of smoking among young people following the implementation of the law that year. Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta anticipates the new law will help prevent tobacco addiction in Onondaga County as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very pleased that County Executive Joanie Mahoney signed T21 into law for Onondaga County,\u201d Indu said. \u201cT21 puts Onondaga County in a leadership position with several other counties in New York state to protect the health of our youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went on to explain that tobacco is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the county, citing recent data showing that 20.3 percent of Onondaga County adults smoke, a figure higher than the state rate of 15.6 percent.<\/p>\n

Making change happen<\/h4>\n

The nationwide success of the Tobacco 21 campaign is due in part to its focus on taking action at the local level, resulting in Central New York\u2019s own Tobacco 21 workgroup. An offshoot of the Tobacco Action Coalition of Onondaga County, the workgroup is a collaboration of nine Onondaga County organizations focused solely on advocating to increase the age of purchase for tobacco sales to 21 in Onondaga County.<\/p>\n

Through coordinated outreach to public officials, including Indu, Joanie, County Legislator and Health Committee Chair Danny J. Liedka and several other county legislators, the workgroup made the case for Tobacco 21 heard, and spurred action on the part of elected officials and the community.<\/p>\n

A November 2016 GOP survey, inspired by a Tobacco 21 workgroup presentation and spearheaded by Danny, revealed that a majority of community respondents were in favor of raising the age of sale for tobacco products, and agreed that e-cigarettes should be included as a tobacco product in relation to any tobacco control laws.<\/p>\n

To further demonstrate support for legislation, the group undertook a community campaign that included petitions and media outreach to bring awareness to the Tobacco 21 initiative. In addition to community residents, the workgroup sought support of decision makers in the business community, collecting signatures on a letter of support from nearly 50 prominent local businesses and organizations.<\/p>\n

Together, these efforts helped secure the Onondaga County legislature\u2019s vote in favor of raising the legal age to buy tobacco in the county to 21 in early December, paving the way for the bill to become law.<\/p>\n

\u201cTobacco usage affects everyone in the community. The collaborative nature of our Tobacco 21 workgroup made it possible for us to efficiently and effectively reach and educate multiple stakeholders and to garner support for the legislation,\u201d said Martha Ryan, public health advocate formerly with the American Cancer Society. \u201cThe survey, coupled with the group\u2019s efforts to rally business leaders and residents, helped send the message to elected officials that their constituents wanted the kind of legislation that Tobacco 21 offers.\u201d<\/p>\n

What’s next<\/h4>\n

Raising the age of legal purchase of tobacco products to 21 is an important step in curtailing tobacco use and reducing negative health outcomes related to tobacco use, but there\u2019s more to be done. TACO has offered to be a resource for Onondaga County throughout implementation of the new law, and continues to advocate and educate the community.<\/p>\n

A significant part of TACO\u2019s work moving forward is data evaluation \u2013 specifically youth tobacco usage. The group has the ability to monitor the 18 to 21 age group and adult usage statistics, explained Dr. Leslie Kohman, board chair of the Greater Upstate American Cancer Society. She added that education, coupled with factors like legislation and policy, can help reduce tobacco addiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s important going forward is that we use this data to identify and implement evidence-based approaches that will further reduce tobacco use and improve our ability to live healthier lives,\u201d Leslie said. SWM <\/em><\/p>\n

Learn more about the Tobacco Action Coalition of Onondaga County and its ongoing efforts in Onondaga County by visiting tcisyracuse.org\/tobaccoaction-coalition<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Get help quitting the use of tobacco products with resources and support from the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems at St. Joseph\u2019s Health Hospital. Visit sjhsyr.org\/tobacco-cessation<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Envisioning a Tobacco-Free Future for Onondaga County\u00a0 By Deb\u00a0Mendzef Effective Jan. 1, 2018, Onondaga County became the 15th municipality in New York state to ban the sale of tobacco-related products to anyone younger than 21 years old. Deb Mendzef, coordinator for the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems, located at St. Joseph\u2019s Health Hospital,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[533,517,516,532],"class_list":["post-1541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-deb-mendzef","tag-february-2018","tag-the-go-red-edition","tag-tobacco-21"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/syracuse-women-magazine-logo-jan-17-smallest.jpg?fit=445%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2825,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2825","url_meta":{"origin":1541,"position":0},"title":"Go Red for Women: Addressing the vaping epidemic","author":"Staff","date":"February 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"From St. Joseph\u2019s Health \u00a0 Vaping is becoming an increasing epidemic among teens. Many users believe vape pens, e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery devices are safe, but that\u2019s not the reality. \u201cWhen using e-cigarettes, one is not just inhaling flavored water vapor as a fair number of people believe,\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=101"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3491,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3491","url_meta":{"origin":1541,"position":1},"title":"Inspire: Brittany Taylor – Making a community-wide impact on heart health","author":"Alyssa Dearborn","date":"February 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Alyssa Dearborn After joining the American Heart Association nearly one year ago as the organization\u2019s community impact director, Brittany Taylor has been able to make a difference in the lives of Central New Yorkers while seeing the Association\u2019s impact firsthand.\u00a0 \u201cAs the community impact director, I work with both\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Inspire"","block_context":{"text":"Inspire","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=1143"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Image-14-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Image-14-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Image-14-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Image-14-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2906,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2906","url_meta":{"origin":1541,"position":2},"title":"Dr. Indu Gupta: Helping Heal Onondaga County","author":"Staff","date":"July 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By Emma Vallelunga Photo by Alice G. Patterson When the world is in crisis, we need more than just Superman. In times like these, the heroes we seek wear full-body gowns, N95 masks and face shields. But in Syracuse, physicians like Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta break medical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cover Story"","block_context":{"text":"Cover Story","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=100"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Dr-Indu-Gupta-Onondaga-Health-Commissioner-0010.jpg?fit=901%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Dr-Indu-Gupta-Onondaga-Health-Commissioner-0010.jpg?fit=901%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Dr-Indu-Gupta-Onondaga-Health-Commissioner-0010.jpg?fit=901%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Dr-Indu-Gupta-Onondaga-Health-Commissioner-0010.jpg?fit=901%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2805,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2805","url_meta":{"origin":1541,"position":3},"title":"Women\u2019s Reproductive Health: Have a Heart and Keep It Strong!","author":"Staff","date":"February 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By Heather Shannon, MS, CMN, WHNP, MPH \u00a0 February is heart health month and so much effort is focused on keeping our hearts strong and healthy.\u00a0 We know that diet and exercise are imperative in keeping women on the right track, but genetics can get in the way, despite doing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=101"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/blood-pressure.jpg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/blood-pressure.jpg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/blood-pressure.jpg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/blood-pressure.jpg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/blood-pressure.jpg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3691,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3691","url_meta":{"origin":1541,"position":4},"title":"Out & About – Take a Hike: Adirondack Mountain Club provides camaraderie and stewardship around the great outdoors","author":"syracusewomanmag_c4lfdt","date":"July 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Norah Machia Are you interested in beginning a journey toward a healthier lifestyle through outdoor adventure, but don\u2019t know where to start? The Onondaga Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club may be the answer. The nonprofit organization, also known as the ADK, offers year-round recreational opportunities for Central New\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Special Feature"","block_context":{"text":"Special Feature","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ADK-Onondaga-Chapter-Winter-Outing-along-the-North-Country-National-Scenic-Trail-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ADK-Onondaga-Chapter-Winter-Outing-along-the-North-Country-National-Scenic-Trail-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ADK-Onondaga-Chapter-Winter-Outing-along-the-North-Country-National-Scenic-Trail-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ADK-Onondaga-Chapter-Winter-Outing-along-the-North-Country-National-Scenic-Trail-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ADK-Onondaga-Chapter-Winter-Outing-along-the-North-Country-National-Scenic-Trail-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2450,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2450","url_meta":{"origin":1541,"position":5},"title":"SPECIAL FEATURE: Taking their seat at the table","author":"Sarah Hall","date":"July 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"More women candidates running for local office for the first time \u00a0 There are more than 500,000 elected offices in the United States at the local, state and federal level. Of those, less than a third are held by women. According to the nonpartisan organization She Should Run, in 22\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/america-american-flag-ballot-1550340.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/america-american-flag-ballot-1550340.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/america-american-flag-ballot-1550340.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/america-american-flag-ballot-1550340.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/america-american-flag-ballot-1550340.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1541"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1542,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1541\/revisions\/1542"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}