Published on November 25, 2025
New York State landmarks have been illuminated in purple to mark the 25th anniversary of the New York State Department of Health’s Tobacco Control Program (TCP). The observance follows the Great American Smokeout and celebrates New York’s leadership in reducing tobacco-related disease and death and supporting New Yorkers who want to quit.
Illuminating 25 Years of Landmark Progress is a visual tribute to the program’s many state and local successes in saving New Yorkers' lives and creating healthier, tobacco-free communities. The Tobacco Control Program (TCP) has not only been effective at saving lives and improving health but has also proven to save the state money. For every $1 New York spends on tobacco control, an estimated $15 in health-care costs is saved.
“I’m proud of the impact the state’s comprehensive Tobacco Control Program and its community partners have had over the past 25 years in improving New Yorkers’ health by reducing smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke,” stated Commissioner of Tompkins County Whole Health Jennie Sutcliffe. “Together, we’ll continue to fight the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics and new products that attract and addict youth and make it harder for people to quit.”
Local landmarks to be illuminated include: Tompkins County Whole Health offices (201 E. Green St., downtown Ithaca and 55 Brown Road, northeast Ithaca), Tompkins County Public Library (101 E. Green St., Ithaca), and Hotel Ithaca (222 S. Cayuga St., Ithaca). See the full list of statewide landmark illuminations below. Locally, lights will be illuminated Monday, November 24th - Tuesday, November 25th.
Tompkins County Legislator Shawna Black (D-Ithaca) who serves as a liaison for the Legislature on the Board of Health, stated, “Protecting youth from tobacco addiction is of utmost importance to our county. I commend the efforts of our public health system in their collaborative approach to combatting this issue and look forward to advancing innovative solutions so that we can continue to see a decline in overall tobacco use.”
Falling Smoking Rates Save Lives, Save Money The program was established via New York State Public Health Law in 2000, and since then, it has maintained a comprehensive, effective public health infrastructure to prevent tobacco use, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, and support New Yorkers in quitting tobacco. Key achievements include:
Adult cigarette smoking down from 23% in 2000 to 9.3% in 2023.
Youth cigarette smoking at 2% in 2024, with youth use of any form of tobacco continuing to fall.
Strong statewide policies protecting New Yorkers, including the Clean Indoor Air Act, ending the sale of tobacco in pharmacies, and restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes.
Many local standards to further protect New York’s communities, such as prohibiting smoking and e-cigarette use in multiunit housing and outdoor public spaces and reducing tobacco/e-cigarette marketing exposure to children.
More than 1 million New Yorkers supported in quitting through the New York State Quitline.
According to data collected in 2013–2014, smoking rates were 14.1% in Tompkins County and 21.4% in Cortland County. By 2021—the most recent data available—those rates had fallen to 8.9% in Tompkins County and 14.8% in Cortland County.
The NYS TCP leads comprehensive efforts to reduce illness, disability and death related to commercial tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure, and to alleviate social and economic inequities caused by tobacco marketing and use. Throughout the state, Tobacco Control Program partners have implemented these essential program components:
The Advancing Tobacco-Free Communities (ATFC) program fosters environments supportive of policies that reinforce New York State's tobacco- and vape-free norm. The Tobacco Free Zone of Tompkins, Cortland and Chenango is the local ATFC grantee partner.
The Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free New York (HSTFNY) program works to reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality by partnering with healthcare systems to help their patients quit smoking. University of Rochester Medical Center’s Center for a Tobacco Free Fingerlakes is the local HSTFNY grantee partner.
The New York State Quitline provides free and confidential services that include information, tools, medications, quit coaching, and support by phone call, online chat, and text, available to all New Yorkers. The Quitline recently launched the new Drop the Vape program to help youth and teenagers overcome vaping and other tobacco products.
TCWH Health Educator Ambra Munlyn, who coordinates the Tompkins branch of our local ATFC’s program (T-Free Zone of Tompkins, Cortland and Chenango), stated, “It has been great working alongside dedicated community partners and businesses, school district staff, county elected officials and local youth who are passionate about reducing tobacco use. When we all work together on a specific goal, we can achieve real results.”
Great American Smokeout Supports Healthier, Smoke-Free Communities For almost 50 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the annual Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. The event offers an opportunity for people who smoke to commit to begin, or make plans to begin, healthy, smoke-free living.
New York State Quitline Also Celebrates 25 Years of Saving Lives The Tobacco Control Program also supports New Yorkers in their quitting efforts through the New York State Quitline which provides free, confidential services, including information, tools, quit coaching, support in both English and Spanish, and free nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches and gum.
Since 2000, the Quitline has helped more than 1 million people in their journey to quit smoking and has recently expanded its services to include educational resources on menthol tobacco products, including how menthol affects African American, LGBTQIA+, and Hispanic or Latinx communities. The Quitline also offers confidential text-based programs to help build skills for quitting; free enrollment is available by texting QUITNOW (English) or DÉJELO YA NY (Spanish) to 333888 or by visiting www.DropTheVape.org.
List of landmarks participating in the illumination event:
One World Trade Center
Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
Kosciuszko Bridge
The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
State Education Building
Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
Empire State Plaza
State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
Niagara Falls
The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
Albany International Airport Gateway
MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
Moynihan Train Hall
Roosevelt Island Lighthouse
Tompkins County Whole Health: envisioning a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X. Sign up to receive Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text.
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