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Help Us Save NY's Tobacco Control Program
March 18, 2011
By Donald Distasio
Chief Executive Officer, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ
Few services are as central to our mission as the Tobacco Control Program! The New York State Tobacco Control Program saves lives. In every corner of the state, this program is working in local communities to give smokers the one-on-one assistance they need to quit. It funds youth smoking prevention groups; the Smokers Quitline, including free nicotine patches for those who want to quit; as well as hard-hitting effective media campaigns.
We know this program works. In 2008, the adult smoking rate in New York fell to an all-time low of 16.8%. But as we have seen the program funding erode from sustained budget cuts, the smoking rate in our state is actually on the rise.
I am asking you to make a difference by calling your Assembly Member and urging him/her to fund the Tobacco Control Program! If you've already made your call, read on. There is more you can do.
As you may know, the NYS Assembly wants to eliminate funding for the Tobacco Control Program, and passed a budget resolution on Tuesday that completely eliminates all of its funding. The Senate and the Governor both agree that the Tobacco Control Program should be funded at $58.4 million. Over the next few days, the Senate and the Assembly are in conference committees to work out the differences between the budget resolutions.
We must convince the Assembly to fund the Tobacco Control Program at the $58.4 million level!
Legislators are in their home districts through the end of this weekend, and back in Albany on Monday. They need to hear from you that the Tobacco Control Program must be saved. We don't have much time.
The link below takes you to the online call alert page, with a specific ask and a search tool to find your Assembly member's district office phone number. Please follow the links to log your call afterward so we can track our progress.
Click here to make the call.
If you already made your call earlier this week - thank you! Once you've made your call, there are many more ways you can help. Forward this email to coalition partners, contacts and volunteers. Also, help us make sure everyone gets the message through Facebook and Twitter.
If you're on Facebook there's three things you can do -
1) Please copy and repost this to your status:
If you ever lost a loved one to smoking, if you know someone struggling to quit, if you watched your children face pressure to smoke, then you must help save the NYS Tobacco Control Program! Go to facebook.com/cancernynj & take action on the "Save NYS TCP" tab. Contact your Assembly Member today & tell them not to destroy the TCP! pls repost to your status & spread the word
2) Send an email yourself! It's ok to both call and email your Assembly member!
Go to the Eastern Division's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/cancernynj) click on the "Save NYS TCP" tab - it's under the ACS logo on the left hand side of the screen and send your Assembly Member an email reminder to Save the Tobacco Control Program. You don't even have to leave Facebook to do it! You can also find a direct link to it here: http://www.facebook.com/cancernynj?v=app_6009294086
3) Contact your Assembly Member on Facebook.
You can find a full list of Assembly Members on Facebook. Send them a message or post on their wall asking them to Save the New York State Tobacco Control Program.
If you're on Twitter there's two things you can do -
1) Please Tweet or RT this from @cancernynj
Lost sum1 2 #smoking? Know sum1 struggling 2 quit? Save a life.
2) If your Assembly Member is on Twitter (not all are), Tweet them something like the following using the hashtag #savenystcp
@[Assembly Member's Twitter Name] please save lives, prevent cancer, fund the NYS Tobacco Ctrl Program #savenystcp
To find your Assembly Member's Twitter account just do a search in Twitter on their name (again, not all Members are on Twitter)
There has never been a more critical time for us to pull together and protect what we have worked so hard to create. Please, make your call and share this information!
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