Holiday Survival Guide: Smoke-Free Edition

While the holidays can be a time of joy, excitement, and fun, they can also bring up difficult emotions – sadness, loss, grief. There can be challenges associated with our families, stress and conflict, financial pressures, and social situations that can trigger us toward unhealthy behaviors. The change in season can also impact our mood and energy level.  If you don’t […]

Advocacy Institute: #RealTalkTobacco 2019 Cohort



The Advocacy Institute is looking for motivated and smoke-free teens who are residents of Philadelphia to join the #RealTalkTobacco 2019 cohort. The program aims to impact their community by working towards a smoke-free lifestyle for all youth. Teens develop skills in community building, media, policy, leadership, public speaking, project management and receive community service hours, job opportunities, […]

Great American Smoke-Out: Thursday Nov 15, 2018



For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. This year, the Great American Smokeout is Thursday, November 15, 2018. If you smoke, stop smoking for 24 hours on November 15th. Make this next step in your quit journey. The Great American Smokeout (GASO) […]

Do Stores Need to Sell Tobacco?

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health and it’s partners recently conducted a study of tobacco purchases in Philadelphia corner stores showing that most (87%) purchases did not include tobacco. The study also found that most tobacco purchases did not include sales of any other store items. Check out this infographic – available in English or Spanish!

HUD’s Smoke-Free Rule Will Not Be Overturned



Studies have shown that a large number of public housing residents across the nation, including children, the elderly, and residents with serious medical issues, are exposed to secondhand smoke, which causes or worsens a wide range of illnesses including lung and heart diseases. In an effort to protect public housing residents from the harms of second and […]

New Data: Youth Tobacco Use in Philadelphia



Smoking is estimated to cause nearly one of every five deaths in the United States and more than one of every four deaths in Philadelphia. While cigarette use among youth has been decreasing nationally, use of other forms of tobacco is rising. Addiction to nicotine begins in adolescence, so rising use of tobacco in any […]

Calling 1-800-Quit-Now

Check out our Tobacco Policy and Control Program Manager, Ryan Coffman, talk about an easy step you can take to help quit smoking. Here’ what happens when you call the Pennsylvania quit line: Do you know what to expect when you call the Pennsylvania quit line (1-800-Quit-Now) (1800-DEJELO – YA). Our multi-lingual quit call line provides […]

2016 Community Health Assessment



The Community Health Assessment (CHA) analyzes how healthy people are in Philadelphia. It highlights key public health challenges that assist health programs, policies and partnerships. The CHA includes more than 60 topics including health behaviors, health conditions, health care, social and environmental determinants of health.   In Philadelphia, the life expectancy gap between blacks and […]

Break the Cycle



Philadelphia has one of the highest smoking rates among large US cities. Low income neighborhoods in Philly have more tobacco retailers and tobacco advertising, making it more likely that kids will see smoking as a normal activity and start using tobacco. This is the first campaign of its type in Philadelphia, designed to empower community […]

Explore the Story:Tobacco Marketing in Philly



Philadelphia has almost twice as many tobacco retailers per capita as other major cities. The retail store is where cigarettes enter your community. Explore the story, which includes heat maps, photos and historical documentation of tobacco marketing in Philly. Learn the history and scope of tobacco advertising. Search by neighborhood and see how the tobacco […]