Aleah Gathings, MPH, worked hard to educate Harlem residents about the health risks of smoking and how they can quit before she left for Chicago to attend law school in the summer of 2024. From her work at the District Public Health Office of East and Central Harlem, she gives us valuable information about quitting that is geared toward the Harlem community.

Q: What are some tricks or tips that have worked for people in the past to help them quit smoking?

A: Everyone's story is different but I have seen a couple things that are helpful when people are trying to quit. For most people, having a specific reason why they are quitting and having social support from their family or friends are key to quitting successfully. When people have a reason to quit, they are more motivated and focused on quitting. Also, having support from someone such as a spouse, child, parent, or quit buddy, generally increases a person's chances of quitting.

Some people also use nicotine  replacement therapies, such as gum or the patch to help stop their cravings for a cigarette. It can generally be said that a combination of medication, counseling, and social support are effective in helping smokers quit. "Combination therapy," as we call it, is often recommended for those people struggling to quit.

Q: What are the benefits of quitting smoking?

A: There are so many benefits to quitting smoking. One of them is to improve your health. The minute you quit smoking, your body starts to make repairs. For every day you quit, your body becomes healthier and begins to repair the damage that was done from smoking.
There are also cost benefits. In NYC, cigarettes cost $10 a pack-half of that is New York State and NYC tax. If you smoke a pack a day that's $10 a day or $70 a week and almost $300 a month! That adds up quickly. Smoking is an expensive habit.

Additionally, there are social benefits to quitting. It's hard to be a smoker because there are few public places left where smoking is allowed. Since New York passed laws in 2024 that banned smoking in restaurants, bars, and public spaces, there aren't many public places left to smoke. You typically have to go outside or find an area where smoking is allowed. Many hospitals just started enforcing rules that prohibit smoking within 15 feet of hospital entrances in an effort to protect the health of New Yorkers.

Q: What community resources are available to Harlem residents to help them quit smoking?

A: There are lots of support groups and resources available in Harlem. Harlem Hospital and Metropolitan Hospital offer support groups and low-cost prescription medications such as Chantix  and Zyban to people who want to quit smoking. People can also call the NYS quitline or 311 to find out how to receive free or low-cost one-on-one counseling, nicotine replacement therapies or support group services. People can also contact me at aleahgathings@gmail.com for more information.

Harlem Word is a series of interviews with community health experts written by HHPC and approved by our Health Advisory Board.