Capital District Tobacco-Free Communities

10/08/2026

Schenectady is considering new local rules for to***co and v**e sales to gain more control over where these products are sold.
The City Council is discussing a local to***co retail license program and a proposal to lower the official threshold that defines a business as a "smoke shop" from 40% to 25% of its merchandise.
Schenectady currently has about 190 to***co retailers, with 38 located within 1,500 feet of schools.
What do you think about the city implementing local to***co licensing? Share your thoughts below!

Schenectady is exploring a local to***co retail licensing law that could provide more localized control over where and how many retailers are in the city.

09/30/2026

Wouldn't it be great for the environment if New York State was next? If you think so too share this post with friends.
**esaretoxictrash **efree

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law banning the sale of single-use, battery-powered v**es to combat plastic pollution. The law targets disposable e-cigarettes containing to***co, making it...

08/27/2026

Check out this interview our team did with Olivia Jaquith at WRGB CBS 6 News, Albany. Shout out to our Reality Check members who were so poised and professional. As youth openness to smoking rises, it's more important than ever that communities take strong preventive action.

Youth openness to smoking in New York has reached its highest level on record, according to a 2026 report.

08/17/2026

Ni****ne is addictive. It is not a wellness tool.

08/05/2026

Thank you, Olivia Jaquith, for interviewing us this morning about why more young people are open to smoking and what we can do about it. You can read more about it here : https://smokefreecapital.org/youth-openness-to-cigarette-smoking-in-new-york-has-reached-highest-level-on-record/
Watch this space for the interview!

07/29/2026

We had an amazing time at Reality Check Youth Summit at SUNY Oswego. Three of our RC members, Jay, Kaydence and Ash*ta were emcees and kept the energy and vibe pumping!! Everyone went home with the skills to live a to***co free life and become a community champion. We can't wait for next year! Check out this awesome video that captures the highlights of summit!!!

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07/22/2026

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The New York State Department of Health announced the release of new data showing that approximately 1 in 5 students who have never smoked now report being “open” to the idea, the highest level on record since the state began collecting the data in 2000. Openness to smoking is defined as ...

07/17/2026

We had a great night tabling at the Bethlehem Chamber Bike Night Along the Rail Trail. We educated about to***co's effect on the environment and talked about what a to***co free world might look like.

07/06/2026

Last week CDTFC traveled with 8 youth from the Capital Region to the Statewide Reality Check Youth Summit at SUNY Oswego which was designed to inform, involve and inspire them to fight the to***co industry’s influence in their home communities. Three students from the Capital Region were also event emcees - bringing great energy to the event as well as helping to guide the agenda during months of planning beforehand!

06/22/2026

What an incredible day celebrating Juneteenth! Our team had an amazing time tabling at the Juneteenth event at Swinburne Park in the City of Albany. Thank you to Albany Black Chamber of Commerce & Social Club for hosting this great event. While we were there we conducted an interactive dot survey asking: Who should be responsible for the disposal of to***co waste? The results were clear. Community members agreed that the onus should be on to***co manufacturers not the taxpayers. Thank you to everyone who stopped to chat with us.
***coandtheenvironment ***cofree