by Matthew Jones

Residents in some of New York City’s low-income areas are breathing a little easier this summer, and it may be because less people are smoking.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC-DOHMH) recently announced a joint partnership with Pfizer Inc. to distribute $3.7 million worth of free Nicotrol patches – a leading smoking cessation aid – to low income neighborhoods across the city.  NYC-DOHMH Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., who wants to reduce smoking among New Yorkers, now has the support of a new corporate partner.

Frieden would like to lower tobacco use city-wide, and to achieve this goal, NYC-DOHMH is focusing on populations that are most at-risk, which happens to be populations that have the least resources do it on their own.

“There are 1.2 million smokers in New York City,” explained Dr. Nancy Miller of NYC-DOHMH.  “If you look at the data at the neighborhood level, you see that the problem is more serious in (low-income) communities.”

The agency is targeting four neighborhoods with alarmingly high concentrations of smokers – East and Central Harlem, Bushwick, Bedford Stuyvesant, and the South Bronx.

      Source: New York Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2002 Data

These four communities also show the highest infant mortality rates, the highest percentages of miscarriages and premature births, as well as the lowest birth weights.  “Much of that is attributable to smoking,” said Dr. Miller.

Reaching out for a Smoke-Free Future

As many former smokers can attest, quitting is often difficult.  So, when it comes to trying to curb smoking in the nation’s largest city, help is clearly required. 

NYC-DOHMH reached out to Pfizer and the company responded.  After meeting with Commissioner Frieden to discuss various ways of collaborating, the leadership at Pfizer concluded that “a donation of the Nicotrol Patch would be an effective way to support the City’s efforts to urge smokers to quit,” explained Wendy Lazarus, Community Relations Director, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

But handing boxes of Nictrol patches and simply sending people on their way was not what the NYC-DOHMH had in mind.  Instead, the agency and Pfizer teamed up to maximize their outreach efforts. 

The $3.7 million donation provides enough Nicotrol patches to supply an eight-week course of therapy for 25,000 people.  By tapping into existing grassroots resources, NYC-DOHMH aims to ensure that the patches not only get into the right hands, but that there is also sufficient follow up and support to keep aspiring quitters on track.

“We turned to our district public health officers, who are already providing care to the community,” explained Dr. Miller.  “(This program) has grassroots support.  We’re working with doctor’s offices.  We have a system of public hospitals, 14 of them (through the Health and Hospital Corporation), to distribute meds, whether people have insurance or not.  Faith-based organizations help, too.”

Pfizer is assisting with its own support network, which is helping to train the City’s public health detailers on how to deliver information on disease prevention and smoking cessation to targeted patients.

Meeting an Urgent Need

According to Dr. Miller, the smoking issue is not one that should be left to take care of itself.  Action is needed now, and every positive action has some measurable result.

“Every year, there are 10,000 deaths in New York due to smoking,” explained Dr. Miller.  “It’s the number one preventable cause of death.”

The key word is preventable, and NYC-DOHMH is determined to stay on the issue until the numbers come down.  “This year’s program will reach 25,000 people,” explained Dr. Miller.  “If we’re successful, one third of them will stop smoking.  That should prevent more than 1,000 premature deaths.”

“Last Spring, we provided 35,000 smoking patches (with a different healthcare partner),” continued Dr. Miller on the City’s unwavering commitment to combat smoking.  “People could call, and request their meds and materials.  The city also provided follow-up counseling.  As a result, 11,000 successfully quit smoking.  We estimate that it prevented about 1,700 premature deaths.”

But the war is far from over.  Although smoking rates among all smokers in New York City have declined in recent years, tobacco remains a firmly implanted element of inner city life.  It’s a reality that will not be solved overnight, but with time, commitment and more corporate partners willing to chip in, New York City will continue to make progress.

“We have to dig deep, and try to turn it around,” said Dr. Miller.   But partnerships with healthcare giants like Pfizer are giving hope to low-income smokers and the city’s healthcare providers.  “This gift from Pfizer will have a wonderful effect on the city.  We’re very grateful,” Dr. Miller continued.

Pfizer, which sells prescription drugs in more than 150 countries around the world, is also committed to supporting agendas aimed at raising healthful living.  “As a healthcare company, Pfizer is dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives,” said Lazarus.  “We know that one way to accomplish this is to reduce the risk of smoking related diseases.”

By focusing on the health needs of low-income neighborhoods, NYC-DOHMH intends to improve the health of New Yorkers overall.

Consider the challenges that many low-income residents face and the need for NYC-DOHMH’s efforts becomes apparent. 

Conditions in most low-income neighborhoods are stressful and conducive to substance abuse.  Cigarette companies exploit the situation by concentrating their marketing efforts in low-income, ethnic neighbors.  While most residents of such communities don’t have the means to purchase the necessary aids to stop smoking, those who have insurance policies usually find that those policies do not cover programs designed to stop smoking.  Add it all up and you have a situation that begs for intervention.

Regardless of where one might stand on recent court decisions involving tobacco companies, there is a growing body of evidence regarding the harm and devastation that tobacco products cause.

“Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health and save your life,” said Dr. Miller.  “Most smokers want to quit, but they haven’t used the effective methods to help them quit.  They should work with their doctors, on a specific cessation program.  They would be healthier – their whole families would be healthier – as a result.”

The End