Scuccimarra: “America has unfortunately not won the war on smoking”
CARMEL – Putnam County Legislator Barbara Scuccimarra is passionate when it comes to banning young people from purchasing tobacco.
The Garrison lawmaker called for the county to join the growing list of counties that ban the sales of tobacco products to persons under the age of 21.
Scuccimarra, who chairs the legislature’s Health Committee, wants the county to raise the minimum age of sale of all tobacco products including electronic cigarettes to 21 with strong retailer compliance and active enforcement as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce youth initiation.
“America has unfortunately not won the war on smoking and tobacco,” she said on Wednesday. “Smoking is a risk factor for numerous cancers. By the end of 2018, nearly 111,000 New Yorkers will learn they have cancer and sadly more than 35,000 of these individuals will lose the battle. Smoking increases the risk for lung cancer, the state’s number one cancer killer.”
Putnam County Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Nesheiwat said he was “deeply troubled about the future of the county’s next generation. “The deaths this county will be concerned with that stemmed from teenage smoking will be astronomical because it is a known fact that smoking kills.”
County Executive MaryEllen Odell said that early in her administration, the county identified addiction and substance abuse as a real problem in Putnam County. “We have joined other counties statewide in fighting pharmaceutical companies by joining litigation to cease the opioid epidemic.”
Odell said in March she asked Scuccimarra to head up a task force by “taking our coordinators and boots on the ground people to discuss the questions, answers and trends regarding the epidemic. Individuals being targeted to protect are our teenagers. We must now walk the talk.”
Tobacco 21 laws have been implemented in counties from western New York to eastern Long Island. Odell said Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties have all enacted similar legislation. “Putnam County must be next in line,” she said.
Odell said while it was important that Putnam County was proposing Tobacco 21 legislation, “we must also focus on the big issue this year – vaping. Local legislation as well as national legislation must stop this menace. It has to be shut down.”
American Cancer Society officials charged that 96 percent of smokers picked up their first cigarette before the age of 21.
Tracey Walsh, coordinator of the Relays for Life in Putnam, predicted that “Tobacco 21 will give our residents a healthier future. Putnam is passionate in fighting cancer. This will help.”
Dr. Fran Wills, Putnam Valley Superintendent of Schools, told the group that all superintendents countywide were in agreement. “This is an answer to our prayers because tobacco is back with a vengeance in our schools due to vaping. We believed the war had been won because most kids in school were no longer smoking. Years ago, smoking areas were part of all high schools. Sadly today, many parents are not even aware that their youngsters are hooked on nicotine due to vaping. The drug is hidden in small receptacles such as a flash drive making it extremely difficult to identify. The consequences are terrifying.”
Scuccimarra hopes to approve a Tobacco 21 law for Putnam County at the August 14 meeting of the Health Committee and forward the proposed legislation to the full nine-member body for a vote during its September session.
