Global Action to End Smoking Awards Grant to Northwell Health to Integrate Tobacco Harm Reduction into Queens Health Care Center

With support of more than $650,000, Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital in Queens will integrate tobacco harm reduction into existing programs over a 24-month period to reduce smoking rates and cardiovascular disease in adults.

NEW YORK, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Action to End Smoking is proud to announce a new grant to Northwell Health, New York State's largest health care provider, to increase smoking cessation among populations with elevated smoking rates in Queens. This marks the first time that a patient center operated by a major health care provider will integrate tobacco harm reduction (THR) into its existing programs to address smoking and cardiovascular disease.

"We're thrilled to partner with Northwell Health, which is leading the way in delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care to people who smoke—including many who have not been helped by traditional cessation programs," said Pamela Parizek, chair of the board at Global Action to End Smoking.

Tobacco harm reduction is a public health concept that recognizes a spectrum of risk among nicotine products. Smoking combustible cigarettes is the most dangerous way to consume nicotine, killing one out of two long-term users and nearly 500,000 people in the U.S. annually. Reduced-risk nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), such as patches or gum, have proven effective in helping people quit smoking.

Most smoking cessation programs limit reduced-harm products to nicotine replacement therapies alone. Unfortunately, these traditional approaches fail many people who smoke and want to quit.

"At Northwell, we believe in meeting people where they are—not where we think they should be," said Dr. Keasha Guerrier, director of quality for family medicine and family medicine lead at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, and board member of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians. "This grant allows us to build on our long-standing commitment to smoking cessation by expanding the tools we offer—especially for those who've tried to quit and felt dismissed or unsupported by the system."

With support from Global Action, trained cessation specialists will deliver an updated curriculum encompassing evidence-based strategies to quit smoking. These will include tobacco harm reduction, nicotine replacement therapy, behavioral modification, and relapse prevention. The program will also address co-occurring conditions and evaluate participant progress at one, three, six, nine, and 12 months.

"Tobacco products remain the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, both in the U.S. and globally," said Shari Jardine, MPH, MA, assistant vice president for Northwell's Center for Global Health, who specializes in education, evaluation, and research programs. "Quitting smoking is extremely difficult, and programs like this serve as a bridge for communities—providing them with accurate information to help reduce their risk and, hopefully, quit."

This initiative builds on growing evidence that broader cessation strategies, including harm reduction, are essential for reaching populations with disproportionately high smoking rates.

"Any time a person moves away from cigarettes, it is a win for public health," said Cliff Douglas, president and CEO of Global Action to End Smoking. "We're grateful to support Northwell as it leads the way in compassionate, forward-thinking care for adults who smoke."

About Global Action to End Smoking

Global Action to End Smoking is an independent U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) grantmaking organization whose charitable mission is to end combustible tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death globally. Historically, Global Action received funding from PMI Global Services, Inc. (PMI). As of September 2023, Global Action and PMI terminated their original funding agreement, and Global Action formally adopted a policy not to seek or accept funding from companies that produce tobacco or non-medicinal nicotine products. Global Action has earned the 2024 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, a leading global source of information about nonprofit organizations.

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SOURCE Global Action to End Smoking