Lung Association Applauds NYS Department of Health’s Efforts to Expand Nicotine Replacement Medications

ALBANY, NY (01/28/2008)(readMedia)-- The American Lung Association of New York State today echoed the New York State Health Department’s (DOH) call to expand the availability and prominence of over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). In a Citizen Petition sent last week to the federal Food and Drug Administration, DOH requested expanded consumer access to these life saving treatments.

Although 70 percent of smokers want to quit, and almost half try -- few succeed without external aids. Further, although the use of medicinal nicotine is proven to increase the likelihood of quitting -- most smokers do not use it when attempting to quit. Due to current federal policy, access to the safest forms of nicotine delivery is severely restricted while deadly forms of nicotine delivery, such as cigarettes and other tobacco products, remain widely accessible and largely unregulated. Not only should NRT products be widely available to consumers, they should be available wherever cigarettes are sold. Moreover, NRT should be sold in similar quantity, and in close proximity to their deadly and addictive counterparts.

The use of medicinal nicotine is proven to help increase a smoker’s likelihood of quitting a lethal tobacco addiction. Expanding the availability of NRT will lead to smokers realizing that there are ways to break their deadly addiction to tobacco products. It is imperative that the public join the fight against the deadly effects of tobacco by sending messages of support to FDA once the public comment period begins.

Additionally, the American Lung Association of NYS once again continues its push for an increase in the New York State tobacco excise tax. New York can further reduce smoking levels and also increase funding for tobacco control programs by enacting an additional $1.50 in the state tobacco excise tax. Study after study has show that increasing the price of tobacco decreases the number of first time smokers -- especially among teens.

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