Family Health

Current news: NYSDOH Commissioner Zucker letter stating, effective September 12, 2019, any business that offers e-cigarettes or e-liquids for sale, must post the attached NYS Department of Health published sign in a conspicuous place. By requiring the posting of this sign, the NYS Department of Health expects that consumers will become more educated about the risks associated with vaping.

The New York State Clean Indoor Air Act and Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act establish the foundation of tobacco regulation for the state. Local counties have the option to create local laws and sanitary code sections that are stricter than those established by the state.

In Westchester County, the Board of Health passed Article XX of the Westchester County Sanitary code, which prohibits smoking in all dining areas of all restaurants, including bars and bar areas.Smoking is also prohibited in any outdoor service area of a restaurant, including patios, decks and sidewalks. 

Apart from restaurants, smoking is permitted outdoors, but not under any kind of overhang that might trap smoke. 

Westchester and NY State laws regarding smoking in worksites:

• Chapter 534, Westchester’s Smoke-Free Worksite Law, went into effect in 2003 and was amended in 2015 to include electronic cigarettes. This law prohibits smoking at all worksites, including restaurants, taverns and bars, in Westchester County with one or more employees.
• The New York State Legislature updated a similar law, Article 13E, effective statewide in 2003. Although the laws are similar, there are some important differences. Article 13E also makes it illegal to smoke in schools, banks, retail stores and hallways of apartment buildings and within specified distances of schools, daycare centers, hospitals and libraries.

Where there are differences in these two laws, the more stringent sections of the two laws will apply in Westchester County.

• It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under 21 years old in New York State. Merchants who do so could be fined and lose their lottery and cigarette license. 
• Chapter 535, Restrictions Relating to the Sale of Tobacco Products to Minors, provides that vending machines which sell tobacco products are restricted to make it harder for minors to obtain tobacco. This local law makes it illegal to allow self-service of tobacco products. Tobacco has to be behind the service counter or locked. A person at least 21 years of age or older has to supervise the sale of tobacco. Tobacco vending machines, in addition to meeting the restrictions in the state law, must also in Westchester County be located at least 20 feet from an outside door and be equipped with a lock-out device that requires activation by a bartender or person in charge.
• Any person operating a place of business where tobacco products are sold must post this sign in color (Spanish) (red lettering required) on white paper in a conspicuous location both where the tobacco products are stored and at the point-of-sale. However, if the storage of the tobacco products and the point-of-sale are within three feet of each other, only one sign is required.
   
   

Local Law:

Westchester County Sanitary Code: Article XX-Clean Indoor Air Act

Chapter 534, Westchester’s Smoke-Free Worksite Law (updated to reflect electronic cigarettes)

Chapter 535-Restrictions Relating to the Sale of Tobacco Products to Minors

The Neighbor Notification Law, Chapter 691 of the Laws of Westchester County, provides that notification is required when pesticides are sold or applied.

Commercial Pesticide Applicators are required to notify property owners of pesticide application to property abutting them 48 hours in advance of application.

Property Owners are required to inform the occupants of dwellings that abut the property being treated with pesticides 24 hours in advance of application.

Retailers are required to post signs close to pesticides instructing applicators to comply with the notification requirements.

Homeowners are required to post visual notification markers (signs) prior to applying pesticides to more than 100 sq. ft. of their property.

Find out what pesticides are subject to the Neighbor Notification Law in Westchester County.

Printable versions of visual notification markers (En español) (lawn signs) and retail information signs (En español) are available in pdf format. The signs must be printed on brightly colored paper and text may not be changed. Please see the Neighbor Notification Law for posting requirements.

A basic reality is that children will have to make their way in a world that is filled with opportunities to use drugs, but parents can prepare their children to make positive choices.

Learn
Parents need to get educated about the risks now. If parents have a working knowledge of common drugs, know their effects on the mind and body, and the symptoms of their use they can discuss these subjects intelligently with their children.

• Know the different types of drugs most commonly used and the dangers associated with each.
• Be able to identify paraphernalia associated with each drug; be familiar with the street names of drugs; know what drugs look like.
• Know the signs of drug use signs of drug use and be alert for changes in your child's behavior or appearance.

Communicate
Parents need to know that the most important thing to remember when it comes to talking about difficult subjects like drinking and drugs is that it's not a five-minute "talk."

Communication with your teen:

• Make a plan
• Present the facts
• Listen
• Discuss
• Set rules
• Set clear consequences - reward good behavior
• Recognize road blocks
• Continue the conversation

Take Action
It is a critical time for your family once you suspect – or know – that your son or daughter is using drugs or alcohol.

Know that many other families have had to work through these difficult times just like you. The most important thing is for you to take action on your child’s behalf the first time that you suspect drug or alcohol use.

Monitoring skills for parents: 

• Ask questions - who, what, when and where. Have your kids check in with you regularly.
• Be prepared and know the facts. Parents are the first line of defense when it comes to teen drug use. 
• Make your position clear. Don't assume your teenager knows where you stand. Tell your children that you forbid them to use alcohol, tobacco and drugs because you love them.
• Make the rules of the house clear to your teenager.
• Monitor internet use.
• Be a good role model.

Resources  

•  How to Prevent Drunk Driving
•  Short and long-term effects of Marijuana (NIH)
•  Useful Drug, Alcohol and Addiction Acronyms You Should Know 

Topical Issues

• Inhalants
• Prescription Drugs
• Steroids/Sports Supplements
• Over-the-Counter
• Commonly Abused Drugs (Medline)
• DXM (Cough Medicine)

More Information

• The new D.A.R.E. Program
• Safe and Drug Free Schools

More than five million children alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses. Don't wait another second. Quit smoking. For free coaching and support at any time, call (866) 697-8487.

 Smoking Cessation Programs

• Freedom From Smoking 

Smoking Cessation Phone Numbers

• NY Smoke Free - 1-866-697-8487
• Centers for Disease Control - 1-800-QUIT-NOW
• American Cancer Society support groups - 1-800-277-2345
• American Lung Association - find a clinic near you, call 1-800-LUNGUSA

To help you quit, these health centers offer free workshops near your home.

Hudson River HealthCare
1037 Main Street
Peekskill, NY 10566
Phone: (914) 734-8991

College is stressful enough. Don't make it worse by smoking cigarettes. Free workshops are available for students, faculty and staff at:

Sarah Lawrence College
1 Mead Way
Bronxville, NY 10708
Phone: (914) 395-2350

SUNY/Purchase College
735 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: (914) 251-6390

Mercy College
555 Broadway
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
Phone: (914) 674-7233

Publications

• Fact sheets for downloading (NYS)
• NYC Health Bulletin: How to make your home SmokeFree
• NYC Health Bulletin: Still Smoking? Cigarettes are eating you alive.
• No Smoking sign: suitable to print and post

Web Resources:

• Smokefree.gov provides tools to help you quit.
• POW'R Against Tobacco Coalition is a four county coalition that was founded in 1992 to reduce the risk of tobacco-related diseases by lowering the prevalence of tobacco use in Putnam, Orange, Westchester and Rockland Counties.
• New York State Smokers' Quitline offers:  Free starter kit of nicotine patches, gum or lozenges for eligible NYS smokers, trained quitline specialists offering help with quit plans, information about local stop smoking programs, informational taped messages, tobacco trivia, secondhand smoke facts.
• American Cancer Society. Information on research, treatment, support groups and on-line chat group and smoking cessation. Also offers personalized treatment and decision feature. Information available in Spanish.
• The American Lung Association (ALA) is the oldest voluntary health organization in the United States, with a national office and constituent and affiliate associations around the country. Founded in 1904 to fight tuberculosis, ALA today fights lung disease in all its forms, with special emphasis on asthma, tobacco control and environmental health. Its website provides information on latest research on environmental and health topics as well as educational programs, and news on related fronts.
• The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) is the information service of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NCADI is the world's largest resource for information and materials concerning substance abuse. Services include an information services staff (English, Spanish, hearing impaired capability) equipped to respond to the public's alcohol, tobacco, and drug inquiries.
• The Foundation for a Smokefree America is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate people of all ages about smoking and tobacco use. This site offers tips on how to quit smoking along with educational materials and research on tobacco use.