By calling 311 between 8:00 A.M. and midnight, 7 days a week, New York City residents can find out if they are eligible to receive the nicotine patchs. Recipients must be eighteen years or older and calling to request the patch kits for themselves, in addition to other eligibility requirements. The patch kits are worth about $150 and are only available for a short period of time, on a first-call, first-served basis. A similar program offered 2 years ago was very successful. “It has never been easier to quit smoking, and we want New Yorkers who smoke to take advantage of these free nicotine patches,” said DOHMH Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH. “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

This article is in three parts. This is part one. Part two Part three

Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health have confirmed that young adults, ages 18 to 24, are now the fastest growing group of smokers.

Third and fourth graders in New Jersey are being taught about the dangers and risks of smoking and are then sharing their new found knowledge with a smoker as part of the "Tell Someone You Love" letter writing program.