T-Free: Tobacco Free Tompkins -- Home Page

A Tobacco Free Zone is a commitment to protecting public health and safety by keeping the air smoke free, supporting those who want to quit, and helping teens beat the tobacco trap.

To successfully fight tobacco addiction for the long term, we must all work together.We cannot afford another generation of tobacco addiction.

Smoke-free Apartments:
The Smart Move for landlords and tenants!

Across New York State, landlords and property managers are recognizing the win-win-win that comes with taking their buildings completely smoke-free: growing market demand, reduced maintenance costs, more satisfied tenants.

The T-Free Zone program is promoting smoke-free apartments in Tompkins County, and supporting landlords and managers who take their properties smoke-free.

• Directory of smoke-free rental housing in Tompkins County
• Model lease addendum for smoke-free apartments
• FAQ for landlords
• New HUD memo encourages smoke-free housing (PDF, 22K)

Direct mail campaign for landlords

Help Youth Be Smoke-free

Curb tobacco advertising

Reduce, Rearrange, Remove

Central New York's licensed tobacco retailers display an average 17+ interior tobacco ads per store. Teens remember these ads twice as well as do adults.

Retail ads and price promotions encourage teens to start smoking, and influence them to become regular smokers.

Fewer tobacco ads could mean fewer teens get hooked on tobacco. And that can help save a life.

Help teens beat the tobacco trap. Ask retailers to cut back on tobacco advertising in their stores! Get a retailer Pledge form.

FasTrac selling little cigars for $1.29 per pack of 20. The NYS cigarette excise tax of $2.75 a pack does not apply to 'little cigars.' Three ad signs visible in this photo, total at this store: six signs for $1.29 little cigars.

Read more about cigarette advertising and promotion at retail stores »
UPI: Some U.S. Retailers and Tobacco Part Ways (May 9 08)
City of Ithaca resolution urges retailers to reduce tobacco advertising. Read the resolution »

No Thanks to Funding from Big Tobacco

These organizations say “No Thanks” to tobacco funding
• Bridges for Youth & Families in Tompkins County
• Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes
• Community Coalition for Healthy Youth
• Family & Children's Service of Ithaca
• Hangar Theatre
• Health Planning Council
• Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes
• Sciencenter

Read the details about T-Free's “No Thanks” campaign »

Get a Pledge form »

Tobacco sponsorship: What are the values?
Tobacco companies sponsor organizations from the arts to human rights and disaster relief. Does tobacco money represent the values of your organization? Read background information »

The Brands of big tobacco: Find out what popular brands are under the umbrella of tobacco giants Altria, Reynolds America and Loews Corp.

Health Commissioner Salutes Tompkins County Tobacco Control Efforts During National Public Health Week

ITHACA, N.Y. (April 6, 2009) – State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., today presented a Public Health Excellence Award to the Tompkins County Health Department, the City of Ithaca, and Tobacco Free Tompkins for their collaborative efforts to protect New Yorkers against exposure to second-hand smoke. The commissioner's stop in Ithaca is part of his visits highlighting effective community public health efforts during National Public Health Week. Read the full DOH release » | Read the Ithaca Journal article »

TV ads show consequences of smoking
3 ads in the Every Cigarette Does Damage series from Austrailia were broadcast last winter on CNY TV channels. Read about them »

Efforts to End The Sale of Flavored Cigarettes

Press release from NYAG Spitzer (Oct 2006) »

Tompkins County resolution supporting a ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes »

Letter to the Ithaca Journal (pub'd Nov 9 06) »

CIAA Waivers in Tompkins County
For information and downloadable application form, click here.

TOPICS

“If we knew a way to prevent other diseases like heart attacks or diabetes, we'd do it in a heartbeat. Well, we know how to prevent smoking. So let's do that.” — Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. From The Washington Post, Dec 01 05