Agencies across New York State have provided letters of support for the removal of tobacco products and marketing materials in retail facilities. The agencies support this action due to the impact on the youth in our communities. Numerous studies link the connection with the number of tobacco retailers to the initiation of youth smoking, leading to them becoming daily users.1

The agencies represent members of our communities who call upon retailers to enact policies to reduce the burden of tobacco use on our communities. They collectively support curtailing the sale of tobacco in the retail market. The most proactive, preventative response to such staggering evidence is to reduce the number of tobacco retail outlets, and they are asking retailers to take a stand by supporting this very important effort.

Each support agency has linked their mission statement and cause to include the reduction of tobacco marketing in the retail environment. They stand with us, as patrons and customers of grocery stores across New York State, to ask for the removal of the sale of tobacco products. 

The following lists of supporters work, live, and play in our New York State communities. They represent the core values of the health of the state of New York and as partners in our communities they have taken specific actions to reduce the burden of tobacco use on our communities. Their list of accomplishments and requests for the health of New Yorkers includes reducing tobacco use and youth initiation:

ACHIEVE Salamanca:
Action Communities for Health, Innovation and Environmental Change, a national funded program in WNY, passed the city of Salamanca law that no person under the age of 18 shall possess, receive, purchase, sell, distribute, use, or consume tobacco products. The access to cigarettes through the retail environment goes against the stand we must take to help our youth become the next generation of non-smokers. and for them to have a healthier future.

Allegany ARC:
Allegany Arc is dedicated to providing the highest quality opportunities for people with special needs and their families. Teens with developmental disabilities living with natural family in Allegany County need support and teens socialization in a well supervised atmosphere. Studies linking a higher rate of smoking with the special needs population urge the Allegany County ARC to whole heartedly sign the letter of support to stop the sale of tobacco in stores where our teens are visiting, especially Wal-Mart.

Allegany County Department of Health:
The ACDOH promotes health and healthy lifestyles for the residents of Allegany County, advocates and promotes public health participation in and support for programs and services, and empowers the community to be proactive in identifying health priorities to improve health status. To support the reduction of tobacco retailers in our region would greatly impact youth access and discourage tobacco use. The support letter from the ACDOH coincides with our goal to provide youth with the best possible start in adult life; that is being a non – smoker.

Allegany Youth Bureau/STOP DWI Program:
It is the mission of the Allegany County Youth Bureau and Board to work collaboratively with all youth service providers to provide our families and youth with opportunities to participate in a variety of educational and recreational programs which will enhance and promote a wide range of assets necessary for healthy development. We strive to provide innovative programs that will encourage empowerment, constructive use of time, positive values, positive identity, and social competencies so all our young people will grow up to be healthy, caring responsible adults. The Allegany County Youth Bureau supports Wal-Mart stores from stopping the sale of tobacco products so as to help our youth not be influenced by the marketing practices of the tobacco industry.

American Cancer Society:
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. That’s why the American Cancer Society works at every government level – federal, state and local – to promote beneficial laws and policies that affect everyone touched by cancer. The American Cancer Society's advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), worked tirelessly in support of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act signed by President Obama last June, which restrict types of sales and promotion of tobacco products to make them less accessible and attractive to kids. The letter of support to encourage retailers to voluntarily stop the sale of tobacco shows a true concern for the health of future generations.

American Lung Association in New York, Inc.:
The American Lung Association in New York, Inc. is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through Education, Advocacy and Research.  With the generous support of the public, we are "Fighting for Air." Whether it's searching for cures to lung diseases, keeping kids off tobacco or fighting for laws that protect the air we all breathe, the work of the American Lung Association helps to save lives every day. Tragically, each day approximately 1,100 kids become regular, daily smokers and between one third and one half will eventually die as a result of their addiction. The American Lung Association led the decades-long fight to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority over the marketing, sale and manufacturing of tobacco products to stop tobacco companies from preying on children and deceiving the American public. Through their letter of support the American Lung Association asks retailers to strongly consider stopping the sale of tobacco products.

Asthma Coalition of WNY: 
The mission of the Asthma Coalition of WNY is to effectively improve the health and wellness of children with asthma and their families in the diverse communities of WNY. Tobacco use & second hand smoke have a direct correlation to the incidents of asthma in children. The coalition supports retailer to stop the sale of tobacco in their store and assist our children in not being victims of the dangers of the chemicals which cause asthma attacks. 

Chautauqua County Health Department:
The Chautauqua County Department of Health is a community of public health professionals whose main purpose is to protect your family's health. The Health Department accomplishes this mission by preventing disease, prolonging meaningful life, protecting the environment, and providing leadership in health crises. The Board of Health and the Commissioner of Health Services fully support reducing the number of tobacco retailers and they actively enforce current state laws to restrict the sale of tobacco to minors.

Community Action of Orleans & Genesee:
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and working to serve low-income and disadvantaged families for over 40 years, Community Action programs are designed to empower as well as provide opportunity to those who are not yet self-sufficient. To empower a person we support tobacco free programs and any community outreach to help youth not to start and adults to quit. Reducing the amount of tobacco product sales and marketing will impact the community in a positive way.

Cortland County Youth Bureau:
The Cortland  County Youth Bureau provides the community the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of educational programs. We strive to provide the highest quality programs through strong leadership. It is our desire to combine a positive environment with a rewarding experience. The goal of decreasing the number of retail outlets where tobacco is sold lines up with one of our goals to increase awareness of underlying problems related to substance abuse.

Family Health Network of Central NY:
FHN works to enhance the health and well being of individuals from underserved, rural communities. These services are delivered in a caring, professional and family friendly environment while encouraging the development of strong healthy lives. By decreasing the availability of tobacco products to the youth in our counties we assist in not having the next generation of smokers hooked to this deadly product. Retailers who choose to stop selling tobacco help adults to quit.

Healthy Community Alliance:
The Healthy Community Alliance facilitates the availability and accessibility of health, education and human services; empowerment of rural residents through cooperation and collaboration; community-wide planning to address multiple objectives; broad-based community outreach for the improvement of health, education and economic development. The vision is to facilitate partnerships among citizens, professionals, facilities, and community groups to address health and human service needs which are viewed as priority areas. The WNY area disparate population is burdened with tobacco use and youth access to cigarettes. Our youth development programs center on the need to reduce the amount of retailers selling tobacco products.

Lake Plains Community Care Network, Inc:
LPCCN has fostered collaboration among area health care providers to keep healthcare local and to improve local healthcare. The network promotes cooperation, the practice of preventative medicine, and access to quality care in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties. Lake Plains Community Care Network, Inc. provides health education, healthcare access and health research. Reducing tobacco marketing and products will ultimately help us meet healthy outcome goals in our communities

Perinatal Network of Monroe County:
The Perinatal Network of Monroe County provides information, coordination, and support services to improve maternal/child health in Monroe County, New York. With the mission of “healthy moms having healthy babies”, the Perinatal Network provides extension support to assist women in quitting smoking and staying quit. If the retailers where our moms frequently visit stopped selling cigarettes, pregnant women would be discouraged to quit.

P2 Collaboration of WNY, Inc.:
P2 (Pursuing Perfection) Collaborative of Western New York is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of people in Western New York. To put our community on the road to health and wellness, we will focus on educating and motivating people in Western New York to make lifestyle changes to prevent illness, and if ill, to help them become well again. The burden of tobacco use and the death and disease it causes requires us to firmly support retailers in stopping the sale of tobacco. It is the way we will help our community, especially our youth, to begin adult life pursing healthy productive goals.

Regional Action Phone, Inc. (RAP):
RAP is a free, confidential, twenty-four hour Crisis and Suicide Intervention, Information and Referral Hotline. It provides services that turn potentially dangerous situations into opportunities for personal growth and a renewed faith in living. RAP  provides support to friends and family who are concerned about the behavior of a loved one. The call center links into thousands of services, including the NY State’s Smokers’ Quitline. Helping our callers to resources such as the Quitline helps them turn a lifelong habit into a cessation attempt. Reducing tobacco products in the retail environment will help smokers quit and reduce the social normal surrounding smoking.

Roswell Park-Tobacco Cessation Center North:
To understand, prevent and cure cancer is the mission statement of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The Cessation Center supports that mission by providing New Yorkers, the NY State Smokers’ Quitline. The Quitline provides support to smokers in quitting smoking and staying quit. Additional work is provided to physicians as they talk to their patients about quitting smoking. What better way to help smokers quit and to encourage youth to never start then by having a major retailer choose to stop the sale of tobacco products.

Seven Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse:
The mission of the 7VCASA is the prevention of alcohol and other drug related problems. The agency utilizes a number of different approaches to educate, inform and work within the communities of Cortland County to develop and support healthy norms, attitudes, behaviors and expectations around the use of legal substances. Cigarettes pose a harmful effect to our residence. It is a highly addictive product that when used as directed causes death. To encourage smokers to quit retailers should consider stopping the sale of tobacco products.

Southern Tier Health Care Systems, Inc (STHCS):
As a three-county rural health network serving counties, it mission is to improve the wellness of our rural communities. STHCS performs extensive community outreach and education programs on various general health-related issues and also on specific issues, such as asthma, diabetes, dental health, nutrition and physical activity, tobacco cessation and developmental disabilities.

Wyoming County Health Department:
The WCHD mission is to ensure the optimal health of the community through promotion of physical and mental health and prevention of disease, injury and disability through ongoing dedication to excellence and values in the provision of community based services. Tobacco use is proven to not promote good health and it will cause disease, injury and disability. Any efforts made by any organization to reduce tobacco product sales and marketing will positively influence our county’s effort to create healthier citizens.