A Smoking Gun: Speaking to 9.8 Million Women & Girls of NYS
by Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.h.

I am writing to you about a product that each year kills more New Yorkers than alcohol, cocaine, crack, heroin, murder, suicide, car accidents, fire and AIDS combined. I am speaking of tobacco.

You already know that lung cancer, not breast cancer, is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. And you know that as many as 30 percent of deaths from cardiovascular disease are a result of tobacco use, with women who smoke more than twice as likely as other women to have a heart attack.

Here are 14 reasons for not smoking—reasons that you may not have thought about before. They come from your Health Commissioner and your former Surgeon General. If you don’t smoke or if you quit now, remember:

You could add 14 years to your life span; You will protect your family and friends from the deadly effects of second-hand smoke; You will reduce your risk for infertility, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion and having a stillborn child; You will reduce your risk of having a baby born underweight with possible learning disabilities; Your baby will be less likely to develop asthma, colds, ear infections and other respiratory problems, and will be at a lower risk of dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); You will have less facial wrinkling, whiter teeth and fresher smelling breath; You will maintain greater bone density after menopause and be at less risk for hip fractures; You will be at less risk for developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration; You will be able to save close to $2,000 per year on the cost of cigarettes that could be used for college tuition, vacations and other family expenses; Your husband, your children, your parents and your friends will thank you—because they will have you around much longer!

If you are a smoker, we are here to help. Just call the New York State Smoker’s Quitline at 1-888-609-6292 and take the first step toward a better life.#

Antonia C. Novello is the New York State Commissioner of Health.

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