New Report: One Out of Five Adults Smokes in Upstate New York

As part of the Great American Smokeout, smokers are encouraged to quit

ROCHESTER, NY (11/18/2009)(readMedia)-- About one out of every five adults smokes in upstate New York, and about 61 percent of them have tried to quit their habit, according to a report released today by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

Smokers will have another chance to quit tobacco on the Great American Smokeout, which is Thursday, Nov. 19. The goal of the Smokeout is to encourage smokers to quit on that day in the hopes that they will quit for good.

"For someone addicted to smoking, quitting can be a formidable challenge," said Robert J. Holzhauer, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer, Excellus BCBS.

The good news is that smoking rates have decreased throughout upstate New York. According to the report, "Cigarette Smoking and Costs Among Upstate New York Adults:"

  • The upstate New York adult smoking rate declined from 25.5 percent in 2003 to 21.4 percent in 2007;
  • About 818,000 adults smoked in upstate New York in 2007, and about 61 percent of them said they tried to quit in the last 12 months;
  • The adult smoking rate in 2007 ranged from 20.8 percent in the Utica region to 21.8 percent in the Finger Lakes region;
  • Adult smokers in upstate New York account for about $1.7 billion in excess medical costs annually, ranging from $170.1 million annually in the Southern Tier to $517.9 million annually in Western New York.

"We are encouraged that the adult smoking rate in upstate New York is declining, especially since smokers are more likely to develop serious medical conditions such as lung and heart diseases that can hurt their quality of life," Holzhauer said.

The following resources are available to smokers looking to quit during and after the Smokeout:

  • Call the New York State Smokers Quitline at 1 (866) NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487);
  • Excellus BCBS's Quit for Life program offers eligible members help quitting tobacco, including access to quit coaches and free nicotine replacement products. Call 1 (800) 442-8904 to enroll.

To access the smoking report, go to http://www.excellusbcbs.com and click on "Policy and Research."

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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to more than 1.7 million people across upstate New York. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage, including valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and wellness tracking tools in our Step Up program. To learn more, visit https://www.excellusbcbs.com.