Big Tobacco in the Big Apple

How New York City Became the Heart of the Tobacco Industry
…and Anti Smoking Activism

Mayor Michael Bloomberg: The Game Changer

Anti-Smoking Efforts Dramatically Increase under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (2:22 / 0:52)

Ed Anselm - Commentary

– He Put His Money Where His Mouth Was

– Perceptions of the Bloomberg Era

– The Sale of ‘Loosies’ Went to the Street

Phil Konigsberg - Commentary

– Protest By Audrey Silk

Gene Borio - Commentary

– Praise for Bloomberg

On May 9, 2002, Tom Frieden, MD, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health in the administration of the recently elected Mayor Michael Bloomberg, invited 18 individuals who were involved in efforts to counteract cigarette smoking in the state, region, or nation to Gracie Mansion to participate in a Tobacco Control Roundtable. Joined by 16 members of the Department of Health, they discussed ways for New York City to take the lead among American cities in ending the tobacco pandemic. You can listen to the two-part audio recording taped by Alan Blum, MD.

“Where There’s Smoke There’s Ire, and the Mayor’s Cash”

Article by Diane Cardwell
The New York Times, page B4
August 16, 2006

“Where There’s Smoke, There’s Bloomberg”

“Where There’s Smoke, There’s Bloomberg”

Editorial
The New York Times
October 9, 2008

“Public Health Enemy No. 1”

“Commissioner Calls Smoking Public Health Enemy No. 1 and Asks Drug Firms for Ammunition”

Article by Jennifer Steinhauer
The New York Times
February 15, 2002

“Behind New York’s Smoking Ban”

“Behind New York’s Smoking Ban, the Tenacity of Two Legislators”

Article by Winnie Hu
The New York Times
April 4, 2003

“How New York City took the lead in world action on health”

“How New York City took the lead in world action on health”

Article by Christopher Grimes
Financial Times
June 27, 2006

“Public Health Enemy No. 1”

“HOLY SMOKE!
New Bloomberg budget means $7-a-pack cigarettes” (3 pages)

Three articles by David Saltonstall; Joanne Wasserman; Michael Saul
New York Daily News
February 14, 2002

“Better take a deep breath, smokers: A pack of cigarettes could cost nearly $7 by the summer.
“Mayor Bloomberg proposed raising the city’s cigarette tax to $1.50 a pack from 8 cents yesterday, saying he was trying to get smokers to quit.
“‘This is not a revenue-enhancing thing — although I’d like to have the revenue,’ the mayor said. ‘This is something for the future of our children, and i think it would be very easy to put together a panel of reputable public health officials which would show that we should do this.'”

“Kick In The Butts”

“KICK IN THE BUTTS
City Hopes Tax Hike Raises Money, Makes People Quit”

Front-page headline
Newsday New York City
July 1, 2002

“Gloomberg”

“GLOOMBERG
Popularity plummets”

Front page headline
New York Post
November 22, 2002

“Mike: Butts Out”

“MIKE: BUTTS OUT
Mayor wants to ban smoking in bars & restaurants” (2 pages)

Feature article by David Saltonstall
New York Daily News
August 9, 2002

“Last call for smokers!
“Mayor Bloomberg is set to propose legislation next week that would ban smoking in city bars and restaurants, the Daily News has learned.
“‘This will be no exceptions,’ said one source with knowledge of the proposal.
“California and Delaware have adopted statewide bans on smoking in bars and other public places, as have dozens of municipalities around the country.
“But Bloomberg’s smokeout, which would have to be approved by the City Council, would be the first total ban attempted in Ned York State…
“The proposal comes six weeks after Bloomberg — in his crusade to stamp out smoking — pushed through a $1.42 increase in the city’s per-pack tax on cigarettes. That pushed the cost to $7.50, the highest in the nation…”

“Bar Humbug”

“BAR HUMBUG
Mike’s cigarette ban is official” (3 pages)

Article by David Seifman; article by Angelina Cappiello, Jared Paul Stern, and Bill Hoffman
New York Post
December 12, 2002

“THE SOUND OF BARROM BAWLS
Owners, drinkers crying in their beer”

“Snuffed!”

“SNUFFED!
City Leaders Agree to ban Smoking Nearly Everywhere”

Front-page headline
Newsday New York City
December 12, 2002

“Smoke Ban Murder”

“SMOKE BAN MURDER” (2 pages)

Article by Jamie Schram, Angelina Cappiello, and William Neuman
New York Post
April 14, 2003

“‘CIG BAN KILLED HIM’
Bouncer knifed as he boots smoker”

“Smoked Out”

“Smoked Out
Puffers fume as city moves to ban lighting up at parks, beaches” (2 pages)

Article by Sheila Anne Feeney
AM New York
September 16, 2010

“Mike: No ifs or butts”

“Mike: No ifs or butts”

Article by David Saltonstall
New York Daily News
October 11, 2002

“The Great New York Smokeout”

“The Great New York Smokeout”

Editorial
New York Daily News
August 10, 2002

“A Citywide Tobacco Prevention Program Will Save Millions Of Lives.”

“A Citywide Tobacco Prevention Program Will Save Millions Of Lives.”

Advertisement sponsored by NYC Coalition for a Smoke-Free City
Village Voice, page 25
May 21, 2002

“Director for Tobacco Control Program”

“Director for Tobacco Control Program”

Job advertisement
The New York Times
April 7, 2002

“N.Y. smoking rate drops”

“N.Y. smoking rate drops”

Article by Joe Mahoney
New York Daily News
June 1, 2005

“Get your butts out of Times Square”

“Get your butts out of Times Square
Smoking ban will soon be extended to parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas under mayoral plan
Most of Times Square to become a no-smoking zone” (2 pages)

Article
Metro New York
September 16, 2010

“Butting Heads On Cig Ban”

“BUTTING HEADS ON CIG BAN”

Article by Andy Soltis
New York Post, page 3
November 23, 2002

“In Recognition of Smoke Free NYC Community Leaders”

“In Recognition of Smoke Free NYC Community Leaders”

Acknowledgment by Coalition for a Smoke-Free City
The New York Times, page A19
July 31, 2009

“Mike wants cig ban in offices, too”

“Mike wants cig ban in offices, too”

Article by David Saltonstall
New York Daily News, page 3
August 10, 2002

“Anti-Smoking Patch”

Koterba Cartoon Bloomberg Gates Resize 60

“BLOOMBERG AND GATES INTRODUCE THEIR ANTI-SMOKING PATCH”

Editorial cartoon by Jeff Koterba
Omaha World Herald
2015

“Nanny State News”

“Nanny State News”

Editorial cartoon by Walt Handelsman (Newsday)
Tuscaloosa News
2013

“Another War Protest???”

“ANOTHER WAR PROTEST???” “NO, SMOKING…”

Editorial cartoon by Sean Delonas
New York Post
April 4, 2003

“This is the Smoke Police”

“THIS IS THE SMOKE POLICE… DROP YOUR CIGARETTES AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR”

Editorial cartoon by Sean Delonas
New York Post
2000

Variation of similar Delonas cartoon:

“SMOKE POLICE, FREEZE!!! THROW DOWN YOUR CIGARETTES AND PUT YOUR HANDS ION THE AIR!!!”
New York Post
August 13, 2002

“Jumper???”

“JUMPER???”

Editorial cartoon by Sean Delonas
New York Post
March 16, 2003

“The Last Refuge of the Persecuted Smoker”

“The Last Refuge of the Persecuted Smoker”

Advertisement by dirtcheapcig.com
New York Press, page 108
November, 2002

“dirtcheapcig.com”

“dirtcheapcig.com”

E-commerce Report by Bob Tedeschi about internet sales of cigarettes
The New York Times
February 24, 2003

“Boycotts Break Bans”

“DON’T EAT–OR DRINK–WHERE YOU CAN’T SMOKE…BOYCOTTS BREAK BANS”

New York City street flyer
March 2003

“Hey Smokers”

“HEY SMOKERS– BOYCOTT!”

New York City protest flyer sent by fax
2003

“Secondhand Smoke”

“Secondhand Smoke…It Causes Lung Cancer…Heart Diseases…Lung Disease…and Death”

Advertisement
Amsterdam News, page 19
November 2002

“Smokers Fume as Ban Heads Outdoors”

“Smokers Fume as Ban Heads Outdoors”

Article by Michael Howard Saul and Chris Herring
The Wall Street Journal
September 16, 2010

“Smoked Out!”

“Smoked Out! Ban on cigs in parks begins, but will city brass actually bust butts?”

Article by Nate Freeman
The New York Observer, page 20
June 6, 2011

“An open letter to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg”

“An open letter to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg”

Advertisement by organization representing people with lung cancer calling on Mayor Bloomberg to create a Lung Cancer Awareness Day and help end the blame-the-victim attitude toward individuals with lung cancer
The New York Observer, page A19
December 19, 2011

“The $1,000 Loosies”