Tobacco-Related Cancers Down In NY, New Report Finds

A new report released by the state health department Thursday, Sept. 14, found that several of the cancers most often associated with smoking declined throughout the state between 2016 and 2020.

Incident rates of esophageal, laryngeal, and lung cancer - those most closely related to tobacco use - steeply declined both in New York City and elsewhere in the state, the report found.

Rates of oral cancer, however, increased by 1.3 percent each year between 2006 and 2020 among those living in New York City.

Researchers also noted that cigarette smoking among teenagers has reached an all-time low of 2.1 percent.

State health officials attributed the decline to several policy changes enacted in recent years aimed at reducing illness, disability, and death related to commercial tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure.

Among them was raising the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21 in 2019 and ending the sale of all tobacco products in pharmacies and restricting the sale of flavored e-liquids and online sale of all vaping products in 2020. Lawmakers also put a 20 percent tax on vapor products.

Most recently, on Friday, Sept. 1, a $1 tax increase on cigarettes took effect, the highest such tax in the country.

"The decline in tobacco-related cancers demonstrates the progress we've made in New York State in supporting cessation for those addicted to tobacco and preventing youth from starting to smoke," said State Health Commissioner James McDonald.

“Though our work is not done, we will continue to take a comprehensive approach to eliminating tobacco-related illness and death."

Nearly 46,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with tobacco-related cancers each year, making up 40 percent of all cancer cases in the state, health officials said. Of those, lung cancer is behind most diagnoses and deaths.

More information on how to quit smoking or vaping can be found on the New York State Smokers’ Quitline website. 

Click here to read the full report from the state health department. 

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