The Western New York Tobacco Health Systems Change Center is one of eight centers across the state that will collaborate with targeted health-care providers to assist these organizations in the adoption of policies and programs designed to help patients quit using tobacco products. This grant builds on previous grant-funded tobacco control work by our organization, but with our interventions now f
ocused on the organization level, which allows us to serve a broader geographic area. The program strives to increase the number of health-care provider organizations that have systems to screen all patients for tobacco use, deliver brief advice to quit at all visits, and provide assistance to help patients quit successfully. Evidence demonstrates that brief advice to quit smoking from a health-care provider significantly increases the odds that a smoker will quit. We will maximize our efforts by working with health-care organizations that primarily serve patients who are disproportionately impacted by tobacco dependence, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and mental-health service providers. While New York State has made great strides in reducing tobacco use, smoking prevalence has not declined for those with low incomes and less education, and those with self-reported poor mental health. These at-risk groups can least afford the costs of tobacco and the consequences of addiction. To learn more, contact the THSCC of WNY at 716-845-8255
