Life Expectancy For New Yorkers Reaches All-Time High

Mayor Bloomberg announced in a press conference on Tuesday that the life expectancy for New Yorkers has reached an all-time high, with babies born in 2009 expected to live to the age of 80.6 years.

The longer life span surpasses the national average of 78.2 years and continues the city's upward trend. In 2010, the city's health department announced that babies born in 2007 had a life expectancy of 79.4 years, the highest recorded in New York history at the time.

Bloomberg attributed the news to both the city's anti-smoking and HIV prevention policies. He said:

If you want to live longer and healthier than the average American then come to New York City...By investing in health care and continuing to encourage more New Yorkers to take charge of their own health, we've experienced dramatic improvements in life expectancy.

The mayor has been a longtime supporter in the crusade against smoking, having signed the city's smoking ban earlier this year, preventing New Yorkers from legally smoking in city parks, public plazas, and beaches.

While some criticized the ban for impeding on civil liberties, Bloomberg touted the policies as a leading cause for the city's record low smoking rate reported in September.

The city recently cracked down on "roll-your-own" cigarette shops . The stores, which skirted Bloomberg's high cigarette taxes, are scheduled to close rather than face lawsuits from the city.

Comments

[beautykilledbeast]

08:06 PM on 12/28/2011

Great news to Mayor-For-Life Bloomturd.

[Iatros78]

05:55 PM on 12/28/2011

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in America. Smoking kills more Americans every year than AIDS, alcohol abuse, murder, suicide, illegal drugs, and car crashes, combined. Any state or municipality that makes reducing smoking rates a priority, as New York City has done, is likely to see dramatic improvements in human health.

[SavEcig]

04:44 PM on 12/28/2011

Wow! The smoking ban has only been in effect a couple months and yet it is responsible for extending the life expectancy of New Yorkers by over 1 year. It's a miracle!
Or is it?
In 1901 the life expectancy of a new born male was 40 years. Almost every year since, the life expectancy has gone up. And every year there is a news story touting the latest political fantasy as the reason for the new record.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vr-archives.shtml

"New York City Death Rate Reaches Historic Low"
January 8, 2008

"Life Expectancy of New Yorkers Increases Nearly Five Months in One Year"
December 20, 2006

"New Yorkers Living Longer: 2004 Death Rate Lowest Ever; 1,747 Fewer Deaths Than in 2003"
January 2006

"Deaths in New York City Reached Historic Low in 2002"
January 30, 2004

"New Yorkers Are Living Longer"
April 21, 2003

New York Male Life Expectancy
1950: 66.1yrs
1960: 67.3
1970: 67.1
1980: 69.1

Did the Mayor make the smoking ban retro-active?

[Iatros78]

05:49 PM on 12/28/2011

New York City's Smoke-Free Air Act that eliminated cancer-causing tobacco smoke indoors (where people spend 90% of their time) was enacted in 2002.

[Venicelady]

02:13 PM on 12/28/2011

Typically, the Mayor takes credit for his "Nanny" policies on why New Yorkers are living longer.

How about giving us grown ups CREDIT for making our own choices in our lives, perhaps?

I can't wait until ths guy is gone.... Boston, PLEASE take him back!

[TommyMcCarthy]

02:38 PM on 12/28/2011

Don't you think Boston has suffered enough at the hands of NY?

[Venicelady]

02:46 PM on 12/28/2011

LOL!

[FancyAmerican]

12:25 PM on 12/28/2011

Living in New York City also requires you to have a rather consistent level of physical activity since the majority of us do not drive. I know it's not A LOT of physical activity but it's a lot more than you'd get living somewhere like Oklahoma City (which is actually nicer than you'd expect).

[robert horwitz]

10:37 AM on 12/28/2011

Just goes to show you what putting twelve locks on each of your doors and bars on all your windows can do.

[Venicelady]

04:44 PM on 12/28/2011

Live in Brooklyn, and we don't have "twelve locks on my doors and bars on all of our windows".

And, we feel perfectly safe.

Get into the city much?

[Elijah Z]

12:17 AM on 12/28/2011

Bloomberg is trying to buy his own legacy. Who paid for that study? Who paid for the skewed crime statistics? Who bought the fealty of City Council? They helped him overturn the will of the people, who twice voted for 2-term limits. This is all BS. The city is in turmoil, and much of it is his doing. Homeless people harass our citizens like never before. Why? Because they need a cigarette, and he's made sure they can't afford one.

[MIKEinNYC]

11:04 PM on 12/27/2011

It's hard to argue in favor of smoking, which is a big part of this.

[Venicelady]

02:53 PM on 12/28/2011

Have you walked around parts of Kings Highway, Brighton Beach, or Sheepshead Bay lately?

EVERYONE seems to be smoking, in spite of the high prices of cigarettes and Bloomberg wagging his finger at them.....

[MIKEinNYC]

04:30 PM on 12/28/2011

You mean the the Soviet sections of town. They may continue in their old ways but somebody's stopped. A lot of somebodies.

[Ainsi sera groigne qui]

09:35 PM on 12/27/2011

What would be interesting is to see a break down of numbers by demographics including income.

One could argue the health of NYC residents is improving because the poor, lower middle class and even middle class are fleeing the city taking with them their *low* pleasures of smoking, drinking, eating the "wrong" foods and not engaging in even moderate levels of exercise.

As NYC becomes an extension of Greenwhich, Conn or any other wealthy enclave one would expect all manner and sort of statistics to change reflecting the habits of the new population.

[Venicelady]

02:00 PM on 12/28/2011

How right you are.

[brooklyncitizen]

09:31 PM on 12/27/2011

when will he leave?

[Venicelady]

02:01 PM on 12/28/2011

Hopefully, at the end of his ill gotten third term...

[field-man]

05:56 PM on 12/27/2011

Whatever, Bloomberg, when are you leaving?

[bluguy8]

03:52 PM on 12/27/2011

thats if you can afford the healthcare. and most of NY's better doctors don't even take health insurance anymore. Its cash or nothing