New CDC Chief Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH..

June 9., 2009 - Frieden has served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Frieden, a 48-year-old infectious disease specialist, has cut a high and sometimes contentious profile in his seven years as New York’s top health official under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. He led the crusade to ban smoking in restaurants and bars, pushed to make H.I.V. testing a routine part of medical exams, and defended a program that passes out more than 35 million condoms a year. In 2003, the city banned ban smoking in almost all workplaces, a precedent-setting move that inspired other cities to do the same. New York also instituted cigarette tax hikes. Health officials estimate the city has 300,000 fewer smokers now than in 2002, which should translate to fewer cancer cases. Smoking Ban Helps NYC Stop Smoking...

New York City's Five-Point Tobacco Control Plan..

We still wonder what happened to a bill (August 2007) introduced by New York City Council member James Gennaro that would have prohibited adults from lighting up in cars carrying minors. - TobaccoWatch.org.

In 2006, New York became the first U.S. city to ban restaurants from using artificial trans fats, and required hundreds of eateries to post calorie counts on their menus.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Frieden acknowledged the challenge and said partnering with other agencies will be more crucial than it was in New York.
He listed smoking as the nation's No. 1 health issue, and stressed the importance of fighting preventable illnesses. But in carefully worded responses, he did not reveal plans for any new campaigns, saying his initial goal is to work with CDC staff to build future plans.

Reference: New CDC chief to target smoking, USA Today - Associated Press, 6/6/2009.