Adults smoking rates in New York City has increased and it may be tied to the city’s lack of investment in antismoking campaigns, according to a report released by the Independent Budget Office.

The report is based on a study by the American Cancer Society based on guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that states New York State has not invested enough funding in anti-smoking efforts during the last fiscal year.

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Although the city’s tobacco control plan has been in existence since 2002, the impact of the plan on smoking adults fall into a gap due to the lag from when new initiatives are launched and the time it takes a person to quit.


The city has enforced and advocated anti-smoking legislation, ran public education campaigns and hiked taxes on tobacco products, but city rates have increased to 16.1 percent in 2013, just 1.7 percent below the national average.

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Health department officials are concerned that smoking rates will continue to climb if the city’s funding continues to decline.

Currently $5.0 million is budgeted for anti smoking campaigns, which is half the amount spent in 2014.

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