The New York State Department of Health Tobacco Control Program (NY TCP) is seeking proposals to contract with to develop TV, radio and newspaper ads as part of a research project.
The research project aims to improve two fundamental aspects of population–based smoking cessation programming:
- reach through a media campaign encouraging cessation or the use of a cessation program; and
- efficacy through a web-based smoking cessation intervention.
According to the RFP:
Preventing and reducing tobacco use are the most important public health actions that can be taken to improve the health of New Yorkers. Tobacco use and dependence is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in New York and in the United States. Cigarette use alone results in an estimated 438,000 deaths each year in the U.S., including 25,500 deaths in New York State. More than half a million New Yorkers currently suffer from serious smoking caused diseases, at a cost of $8.17 billion in health care expenditures annually of which $5.4 billion is paid for by the state Medicaid program. Health costs amount to a $904 state and federal tax burden per New York household..
The list of illnesses caused by tobacco use is long and contains many of the most common causes of death, including heart disease and stroke, many forms of cancer, and lung and vascular diseases. Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined – and each year 571,000 New Yorkers suffer from serious diseases and conditions caused by cigarette smoking.
The NY TCP envisions all New Yorkers living in a tobacco-free society and works aggressively to reduce the morbidity and mortality and alleviate the social and economic burden caused by tobacco use in New York. This mission is achieved through
statewide and community action to change community environments to support the tobacco-free norm and reduce the social acceptability of tobacco use; cessation interventions that promote cessation from tobacco use and increase access to and delivery of tobacco dependence treatment; health communications to decrease the social acceptability of tobacco use and educate community members and decision makers about the hazards and costs of tobacco use and the effective strategies to prevent and reduce tobacco use; surveillance and evaluation to monitor programs.
Proposals are due by April 22nd, and should be submitted to:
Jonathan Mahar
Grants and Procurement Unit
NYS Department of Health
ESP Corning Tower, Room 1325
Albany, NY 12237
(518) 474-7896
Fax (518) 474-8375