Interview with George Rosales

By Rebeca Sanchez

In recent months, tobacco control advocates in New York have made great strides in protecting the public health with clean indoor air and tobacco excise tax victories at the local and state levels.

“The New York effort is just one example of how advocacy efforts, rooted in sound science, can shape public health policy,” said George Rosales, Senior Director of Advocacy for the American Heart Association and New York LCAT Fellows team leader.

Tobacco control advocates like Mr. Rosales have been ardent proponents of the recent tobacco tax increases, which effectively make the cost of tobacco products in New York State the highest in the nation.

In January 2002, the NYS legislature approved a .39-cent a pack tax increase on tobacco products. A few months later, the New York City Council and State legislature approved an additional increase of $1.42. Both tax increases are currently in effect.

Soon after the tax increases, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYC Health Commissioner, Thomas Freiden began formulating a plan to strengthen the 1995 NYC Smoke Free Air Act by introducing legislation to prohibit smoking in all workplaces including bars, restaurants and offices.

The American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, LCAT NY, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, NYPIRG, the Coalition for a Smoke Free City and many other advocates came together to support the measure.

These groups made community board visits, attended health fairs, launched letter-writing campaigns and met with elected officials to advance the proposal. On August 12, Mayor Bloomberg formally announced the new bill, appropriately titled the 2002 Smoke Free Air Act.

Following three rounds of public testimony, the NYC Council overwhelmingly voted in favor of the proposal. On March 30, 2003, the 2002 Smoke Free Air Act went into effect.

During the campaign to prohibit smoking in all workplaces in NYC, the Nassau County Legislature hosted a tobacco control summit focusing on the issue of second hand smoke and clean indoor air. Legislators from Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk and NYC hailed the NYC proposal as the easiest to understand, enforce and implement and encouraged all New York counties to enact similar proposals.

In October 2002, the Nassau County legislature passed a clean indoor air ordinance similar to that of NYC. The smoking ban in Nassau County went into effect in March 2003. Since then, the counties of Westchester and Suffolk have both passed clean indoor air ordinances.

In late March 2003, the NYS legislature also passed a clean indoor air ordinance. The legislation amends the New York Clean Indoor Act of 1989 by prohibiting smoking in virtually all workplaces and public places, including restaurants, schools, daycare centers, health care facilities, billiard parlors, auditoriums, zoos, theaters, retail stores, public transportation facilities and bars.

The NYS ban is scheduled to take effect in late July 2003.

New York State enacted “The effort to make New York State a national leader in tobacco control has been deeply gratifying. People from all walks of life agree that no one should be forced to breathe toxic air, either at work or at play,” concluded Mr. Rosale.