New York State Department of Health Launches Statewide Anti-vaping Campaign for Youth and Families

Initiative Aims to Raise Awareness, Prevent Initiation and Support Healthier Futures for New Yorkers

Campaign Will Run Statewide Through April 26

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) today announced the launch of a statewide anti-vaping public awareness campaign designed to educate teens, young adults and parents about the risks associated with vaping and e-cigarette use, while also promoting DropTheVape - a free, confidential text program tailored for youth and young adults seeking support to quit vaping and other nicotine and tobacco products.  The program emphasizes setting realistic goals, building on individual strengths and providing tools to help participants cope, grow and take control of their health at their own pace.

"Nicotine is stunningly addictive, and vaping continues to pose serious health risks," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said.  "Life is too short to spend it addicted to nicotine.  Drop the Vape is an interactive text-based tool to help people quit vaping and see the benefits of life free of this addiction."

"This new anti-vaping campaign is a critical step in ensuring young people have the tools and support to quit and take control of their future," said Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham.  "Nicotine is highly addictive, and vaping continues to pose serious risks - especially for teens and young adults whose brains are still developing.  By empowering individuals to set realistic goals, and take control of their health, we are reinforcing a compassionate, public health - driven approach to addressing nicotine addiction."

View campaign materials including digital ads and resources here and here.

The campaign will run statewide through April 26.  The ads will strategically engage audiences through digital media platforms, reaching individuals at multiple points in their daily media consumption.  The campaign is designed to increase awareness of the health risks linked to vaping, discourage youth from starting, and strengthen prevention efforts across communities.  By reaching teens, young adults, and parents separately, the initiative delivers tailored messaging that resonates with each audience while reinforcing a unified public health message.  The campaign reflects the Department's ongoing commitment to protecting public health and reducing tobacco-related harm, particularly among vulnerable populations.  Through impactful messaging and strategic outreach, the Department aims to shift perceptions, prevent addiction, and support a healthier future for the next generation of New Yorkers.

Despite decades of progress, tobacco remains a significant public health threat in New York.  While most people who smoke or vape want to quit, more than 1.4 million adults in the state still use tobacco products and disparities in tobacco use persist across communities.  The rise of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches - particularly among youth - poses a serious threat to future progress.  In 2024, over 13% of youth reported using e-cigarettes, and youth nicotine pouch use doubled in just two years.  The New York Tobacco Control Program recognizes a 25-year legacy of success, with a comprehensive set of strategies that include health communications and media, tobacco use treatment interventions, community programming, and statewide and community action.  A key focus of the program is to promote tobacco-free norms, with New York State being a pioneer in establishing strong tobacco control policies.  The Clean Indoor Air Act of 2003 has been a pivotal policy in protecting New Yorkers from exposure to deadly secondhand smoke.  In recent years, the state has enacted several important policies, including raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products, prohibiting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, ending the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, and prohibiting tobacco product price discounting.  Many local regulations and policies have been adopted to further protect residents, such as prohibiting smoking and e-cigarette use in multiunit housing and public spaces, as well as reducing tobacco marketing to youth through tobacco and e-cigarette retail locations.  This month, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that police in Nassau and Orange counties seized more than 28,000 pounds of illicit vapor products linked to Ecto World, a major Buffalo-area distributor, following a three-month investigation into wholesale vape distribution across New York State conducted by the Department of Health's Bureau of Investigations.

To ensure that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to live tobacco-free lives, the Tobacco Control Program provides funding to community grantees through its Advancing Tobacco-Free Communities and Health Systems for Tobacco-Free New York initiatives.  Statewide earned and paid media campaigns increase awareness of the problem of tobacco and e-cigarette use and how to get help quitting.  These hard-hitting campaigns have proven effective in changing attitudes towards smoking and encouraging people to quit.  The Program also supports New Yorkers in their quitting efforts through the New York State Quitline which provides free, confidential services, including information, tools, quit coaching, support in both English and Spanish, and free Nicotine Replacement Therapy, such as patches and gum.  The Quitline has helped over 1 million people in their journey to quit smoking and has recently expanded its services to include text-based support and educational resources on menthol tobacco products, including how menthol affects African American, LGBTQIA+, and Hispanic or Latinx communities.

New York State Department of Health celebrates its 125th anniversary.  For more than a century, the Department has protected New Yorkers from dangerous diseases, expanded access to life-saving vaccines, tracked vital health statistics, and championed health equity for all New Yorkers—regardless of race or zip code.  Driven by the values of public good, integrity, innovation, collaboration, excellence, respect, and inclusion, the Department remains committed to building healthier communities across New York State.