May 30, 2025
Global Action Community Newsletter
This month, Global Action announced that Northwell Health—New York State’s largest health care provider—will be integrating tobacco harm reduction into its existing cessation programs in Queens.
This marks the first time that a patient center operated by a major health care provider will integrate tobacco harm reduction into its efforts to address smoking and cardiovascular disease.
With support from Global Action, Northwell’s patients in Queens will be able to have honest conversations with their health care providers about moving down the nicotine continuum of risk. They’ll be able to talk about authorized products they see on store shelves—products that reflect their lived experience. This is a significant development for the field of smoking cessation, which has too often left people who smoke behind.
I’ve seen the problem with status-quo care for people who smoke firsthand. Though I’ve never used nicotine products, several of my friends—all from different walks of life—do. I’ve watched and supported them as they’ve tried, time and again, to quit.
Recently, one of these individuals told me that he was committed to quitting after decades of smoking. He visited his health care provider and talked through his options. His provider gave him an antidepressant and nicotine patches. Unfortunately, he experienced dangerous side effects from the medication and returned to cigarettes.
Submit a question on the latest quitting research, and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter.
My friend asked me what I knew about nicotine pouches. He was excited to find a brand had been authorized by the FDA for sale. He wanted to speak with his health care provider about whether they might be a good option for him. He was disappointed, however, that his physician refused to seriously engage with him about pouches—simply because they aren’t part of standard smoking cessation care.
As a science writer, I’ve dedicated my career to effectively communicating the most up-to-date scientific information. It’s frustrating to see that so many health care providers, including those who treat my community and loved ones, still carry misconceptions about nicotine—even though mounting scientific data has shown individuals can significantly reduce their exposure to dangerous chemicals by switching to reduced-risk nicotine products if they cannot quit otherwise.
My friend is still on his journey to quitting—but I know that every attempt is a learning opportunity. The more options he can try, the better his chances are of quitting one day.
Global Action’s grant to Northwell Health, however, makes me optimistic that more health care providers will eventually embrace all forms of tobacco harm reduction as part of their evidence-based care. I’m confident that Northwell will be the first of many robust systems to adopt scientifically grounded, compassionate, and holistic support for people who smoke.
All my best,
Katherine Ellen Foley
Director, Media
Global Action to End Smoking
By the Numbers
31
The number of active grants Global Action is currently supporting as part of our charitable mission to end combustible tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death globally. Click here to learn more about our active grants.
Global action in the news
We want to educate clinicians, the public, and people who use nicotine about the continuum of risk that exists and what that means…We are working to unlock the public health potential of tobacco harm reduction.
—Dr. Jeff Willett, VP of Strategic Engagement at Global Action to End Smoking in conversation with Brent Stafford from Regulator Watch.
Tobacco and health around the world
Country snapshot: Guyana
In 2022, an estimated 8.9% of the population of Guyana smoked, including 16.5% of men and 1.9% of women.
In 2022, tobacco-related illnesses accounted for 8.4% of all deaths, with significant impacts on ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and COPD.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 80.9% were due to smoking, and 20.8% were due to secondhand smoke.
Currently, heated tobacco products are not marketed in the country. E-cigarettes are legally available with the several restrictions such as advertisement and smoking bans, minimum age requirements, etc., and there are no health warnings on the packages of these products.
For references and to view other country profiles, visit our pages on
Tobacco and Health Around the World.
Thank you for your support
Give the gift of a healthier tomorrow.
We are taking bold action to find global solutions to end death and disease caused by tobacco, particularly combustible cigarettes. We are one of the only public health groups to embrace tobacco harm reduction as the best viable strategy for ending the global smoking epidemic.
We’re proud to support grantees such as Knowledge Action Change, which recently published this free course on tobacco harm reduction.
Your support makes this work possible. Together, we can build a future where no one suffers from tobacco-related disease.
Thank you for your support in the fight against smoking.
Get to Know Global Action
Global Action has awarded more than 175 grants to institutions that support the work of over 100 scientists, covering 46 countries on four continents.
Our organization is an independent, U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) grantmaking organization whose mission is to end combustible tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death globally. Through September 2023, Global Action received charitable gifts from PMI Global Services Inc. Global Action does not seek or accept funding from companies that produce tobacco or non-medicinal nicotine products.
To learn more about our work, visit our website.
Disclaimer: This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained in this newsletter are for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. No material in this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician or other qualified health care provider. Always seek the advice of your licensed physician or other qualified health care provider regarding a medical condition or with any questions you may have regarding treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read in this newsletter. No physician-patient relationship is created by this newsletter. Global Action doesn’t make representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.