Drug Enforcement Administration Encourages Open Conversations on Dangers of Drugs and Social Media as Students Return to School

 

As students across the state prepare to return to school, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division is encouraging families to have open conversations about the potentially lethal consequences of drug experimentation and the threat posed by drug dealers on social media.  

In Nebraska, DEA has seized more than 145,000 fentanyl pills in the first seven months of 2025. This number is more than triple the amount seized by DEA in Nebraska in all of 2024 and represents close to 85,000 deadly doses of fentanyl removed from communities.  

Social media plays a significant role in the life of students and cartels are taking advantage of this audience. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to emphasize the dangers associated with buying pills online. In Nebraska, DEA has seized fentanyl pills made to resemble common prescription medications such as Xanax ®, Adderall ® and Oxycodone ®. Never trust your eyes to determine if a pill is legitimate or counterfeit. The only safe medications are prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.

“We know that a lot of families sit down at the start of a new school year to go over things like dealing with bullies, taking precautions when walking home and staying organized with classes,” DEA Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “We want families to engage on the tough topics including the use of social media for buying and selling drugs. One pill can kill. Let’s raise awareness in our communities and prevent families from suffering a tragic loss of life.”

For families unsure how to begin a conversation on the dangers of drug use, the DEA has resources and fact sheets available online: https://www.dea.gov/onepill/partner-toolbox. Conversation starters, information on drugs including street names and side effects, and helpful tips on ways to stay engaged in these important conversations year-round, are available based on age and grade.

MAYOR ADAMS, CHANCELLOR AVILES-RAMOS CELEBRATE GRADES 3-8 STATE TEST SCORE DATA SHOWING INCREASED PROFICIENCY FOR 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

 

English Language Arts Proficiency Increased 7.2 Points, Math Proficiency Increased 3.5 Points

City Proficiency Rates Higher Than New York State, Reached Highest Level Since 2012

Increases Align with Citywide Investment in Evidence-Based Reading Instruction for Public School Students

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos today celebrated newly-released test data from the state showing a substantial increase in reading and math scores for public school children, grades 3 through 8, in the 2024-2025 school year. New York state data shows the overall percentage of New York City students meeting the state’s bar for English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency increased by 7.2 points since 2024, from 49.1 percent to 56.3 percent. In math, the overall percentage of proficient students in New York City increased by 3.5 points since 2024, from 53.4 percent to 56.9 percent. These rates are higher than New York state in both math and ELA and reflect the highest percentage of students meeting proficiency standards, as set by New York state Education Department since 2012. New York City Public Schools’ analysis also shows that reading and math scores increased across all grades, with the largest gains coming in grades 3 and 5 in ELA.

“These academic gains in English Language Arts and math are a testament to what’s possible when we invest in our young people and believe in their potential, and we are proud of our students, teachers, and the entire school community,” said Mayor Adams. “A 7.2 point increase in ELA and a 3.5 point increase in math show growth in the number of students performing above the state — and we’re just getting started. Our administration is committed to continuing this critical work next school year, ensuring every student in our city has access to the education and skills they need to succeed, thrive, and lead.”

“These results show that when we set high expectations for our students and give our educators the right tools, our kids rise to the occasion,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “The gains we’re seeing are proof that initiatives like NYC Reads and NYC Solves are delivering for our children. We are closing gaps, raising achievement in every borough, and making sure more students than ever are on track for long-term success. This is what happens when we stay focused on evidence-based instruction and never lose sight of what’s possible for our young people.”

This growth coincides with the full citywide implementation of NYC Reads, which Mayor Adams launched in 2023 to strengthen literacy. This initiative relies on standardized curriculum implementation across all schools in each district, with curricula options limited to those that are rooted in evidence-based practices. Grounded in the science of reading, NYC Reads Phase 1 schools that have been in the program for two years saw a higher increase — 11.6 percent in grades 3-5 — compared to Phase 2 schools, which increased 10.4 percent.  

These increases align with the trends seen with the K-5 academic screener results. These increases reflect accelerated growth from spring-to-spring in the percentage of students above the national median. The screener growth from 2024 to 2025 — an increase of 2.5 points — more than doubled the 0.9-point growth from 2023 to 2024. Schools that were part of Phase 1 of NYC Reads and had two years of curriculum implementation saw an even greater growth of 3.0 percent compared to the 2.3 percent growth for Phase 2 schools that started earlier this year. 

In spring 2025, Mayor Adams and Chancellor Aviles-Ramos announced the expansion of NYC Reads and NYC Solves to an additional 186 schools across 14 districts, totaling over 490,000 students benefiting from this critical initiative.

In addition to overall growth, there were increases across subgroups for grades 3-8.

Today’s announcement builds off two years of core educational accomplishments under the Adams administration, including instituting nation-leading dyslexia screening for all students, adding 57 Gifted and Talented programs, opening seven new schools for the 2025-2026 school year alone, helping 8,662 students secure a total of 23,000 job placements through FutureReadyNYC, cementing new labor contracts for teachers and other education officials, investing $167 million in new funding to secure critical early childhood education programs, dramatically increasing early childhood education enrollment to 150,000 children across the city’s system, and securing mayoral accountability twice in three years while investing $180 million to implement a comprehensive class size reduction plan. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Mayor Adamss while you show Level 3 and Level 4 students L3 +4, what are the results for Level 1 and Level 2 students L1 + 2? How many students are in each level 1 - 4?

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES CITY HAS CONNECTED 3,500+ HOMELESS NEW YORKERS FROM STREETS AND SUBWAYS TO PERMANENT HOUSING

 

Figure Includes 1,000+ New Yorkers Moved From Subway to Permanent Homes  Thanks to Mayor Adams’ Subway Safety Plan 

  

City Continues to Aggressively Expand Safety Net with 400 New Safe Haven Beds Coming Online by End of 2025 

  

Announcement Launches Administration’s “End Culture of Anything Goes” Campaign, Highlighting Mayor Adams’ Efforts to Change Culture, Laws, and Investments That Improve Quality of Life and Prevent Public Disorder on City Streets 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Molly Wasow Park today celebrated major progress in the city’s efforts to connect New Yorkers experiencing homelessness to permanent housing, announcing the placement of more than 3,500 New Yorkers who were previously living unsheltered in permanent homes. The milestones come as a result of key Adams administration initiatives — like Mayor Adams’ Subway Safety Plan, which conducts targeted outreach across end-of-line subway stations to engage harder-to-reach New Yorkers experiencing homelessness — as well as historic investments in housing and services for this population.  

  

More specifically, the city has placed over 1,000 New Yorkers who were living unsheltered in the subway system into permanent homes since early 2022. In total, since the start of this administration, the city has also helped more than 3,500 New Yorkers transition from living on city streets and subways to permanent housing through the aggressive expansion of and investment in Safe Haven and stabilization beds, both of which offer specialized transitional housing support for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.  

  

Today’s announcement also kicks off Mayor Adams’ “End Culture of Anything Goes” campaign, the administration’s commitment to end the culture of ‘anything goes’ and improve quality of life on city streets. The campaign will highlight the work the administration has done to date to change the culture and laws that prevented people with severe mental illness from getting the help they needed, while simultaneously making the investments necessary to support outreach, harm reduction, wraparound services, and housing — all in an effort to make lasting impacts in lives and communities. Mayor Adams is bringing the same energy and approach that proved to be successful in carving a new path to help people with severe mental illness to addressing other health crises playing out on city streets and will soon lay out how he plans to realize that vision.  

  

“From the beginning, we said we needed to build trust with the city’s unsheltered population, whether outside, on our subways, or in our shelters, and in the three years since our administration began this work, we have now connected more than 3,500 homeless individuals to permanent housing, and thousands more to shelter,” said Mayor Adams. “This success would not be possible without our historic investments in Safe Haven and stabilization beds, our record-breaking creation of affordable housing, and a laser-focus on addressing homelessness on our streets and in our subways. More work remains, but it’s clear that the years of walking by New Yorkers in need are over and this milestone is further proof that we’re continuing to make New York City a safer, more affordable city.” 

   

“As we mark important progress strengthening pathways to stable housing for New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness, we resolve to keep building on person-centered solutions that meet our vulnerable neighbors where they are,” said DSS Commissioner Wasow Park. “Through the city's vital investments in the Safe Haven model and the dedication of hundreds of outreach workers who prioritize dignity, trust, and compassion every step of the way, we were able to help more than 3,500 New Yorkers who were living unsheltered move into permanent homes. The ongoing expansion of Safe Havens will further reinforce our efforts to break the cycle of homelessness for New Yorkers who have been consistently failed by society at large.” 

  

In February 2022, Mayor Adams launched the Subway Safety Plan to intensify multi-agency outreach efforts across end-of-line subway stations. As part of this plan, Mayor Adams also made unprecedented investments in a comprehensive continuum of care designed to meet the unique needs of New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges in the subway system. Since the start of the Subway Safety Plan, more than 8,600 New Yorkers have been connected to shelter, with over 1,000 now in permanent, affordable housing. These efforts complement the city’s 24X7 above-ground HOME-STAT outreach efforts — one of the most comprehensive outreach programs in the nation — which have also resulted in vital connections to shelter services for thousands of New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness across city streets, parks, and other public places. As of today, DSS has approximately 400 outreach staff canvassing the five boroughs around-the-clock; this includes a reliable network of contracted outreach workers from not-for-profit human services providers with extensive experience addressing unsheltered homelessness. 

  

The city continues to build on the aggressive expansion of Safe Haven and stabilization beds, which have proven effective in facilitating connections to permanent housing for vulnerable New Yorkers who tend to cycle in and out of the traditional shelter system. The city has opened nearly 1,400 new Safe Haven and stabilization beds during this administration, bringing the overall capacity to 4,000 low-barrier beds as of today. Last year alone, nearly 1,200 New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness were placed in permanent housing from low-barrier beds reflecting a 19 percent increase year over year. More than 3,500 unsheltered New Yorkers have been able to transition from living on the streets and subways to permanent housing since the start of this administration. Additionally, since January 2022, over 14,000 individuals have checked into a low-barrier shelter bed thanks to the Adams administration’s efforts.  

  

Building on all these efforts, earlier this year in his State of the City address, Mayor Adams announced a historic $650 million plan to tackle homelessness, which includes a dramatic expansion of the city's capacity to serve people experiencing unsheltered homelessness by adding 900 Safe Haven shelter beds and 100 Runaway and Homeless Youth Beds — offering intensive wraparound services and specialized resources that drastically increase success rates. Additionally, under a new, innovative model, “Bridge to Home,” that is also part of this $650 million plan, NYC Health + Hospitals will offer supportive, home-like environments to patients with serious mental illness who are ready for discharge from the hospital but do not yet have a place to go. By offering patients intensive treatment and comprehensive support, Bridge to Home aims to keep patients on a path toward sustained success, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations, decreasing street homelessness and reliance on shelters, and lowering interactions with the criminal justice system.  

  

Building on his efforts to connect homeless New Yorkers to permanent housing, Mayor Adams recently announced that the city broke multiple records for producing and connecting New Yorkers to affordable homes in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, delivering the affordable housing that New Yorkers need and reinforcing the Adams administration’s position as the most pro-housing administration in city history. Among the numerous records broken in the most recent fiscal year were producing the most affordable housing units for formerly homeless households, placing the most homeless New Yorkers into permanent affordable housing, and connecting the most New Yorkers to affordable homes through the city’s affordable housing lottery — all three records broken three fiscal years in a row.  

  

Between historic efforts by the Adams administration to finance the creation and preservation of housing, speed up the production of new homes, rehabilitate public housing, pass landmark rezoning initiatives, successful advocacy in Albany to pass a historic housing deal last year, initiatives to build new homes on city-owned sites, and much more, the Adams administration has created, preserved, or planned for approximately 426,800 homes for New Yorkers — including at least 250,000 affordable homes — over the next 15 years. 

Governor Hochul Marches in 43rd Annual National Dominican Day Parade

Governor Hochul: “Here in New York, we love our immigrant community. Dominican community — they came here to work, make our lives more vibrant, to share their culture and food, and we reject the efforts to remove them, these hard working individuals from their homes and their business and schools. And we'll stand up in solidarity with them as we go forward to make sure the law-abiding individuals feel it and know that this is their home.”

Buenos días a todos.  I am so proud to be here once again as your Governor kicking off this parade, the 43rd celebration of all that is magnificent and fun about the Dominican community. Over a million strong right here in New York City, and in fact, I love the Dominican Republic so much that I'll be heading down there this fall. More details are coming, but I'm very excited about deepening our ties, having trade relations, helping our businesses in both countries, as well as continuing our work on the $12 million Dominican Cultural Center in Northern Manhattan, which we're working on as well. So proud of all the honorees.

Proud to be here with you, but also one strong message. Here in New York, we love our immigrant community. Dominican community — they came here to work, make our lives more vibrant, to share their culture and food, and we reject the efforts to remove them, these hard working individuals from their homes and their business and schools. And we'll stand up in solidarity with them as we go forward to make sure the law-abiding individuals feel it and know that this is their home. 

United States Department of Justice Transfers 14 Mexican Nationals with Drug Convictions to Mexico Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico International Prisoner Transfer Treaty

 

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, with the assistance of the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), transferred 14 Mexican nationals serving prison sentences for drug distribution-related convictions in the United States to their home country on Friday. The transfer was made pursuant to the United States’ prisoner transfer treaty with the Government of Mexico.

“Friday’s transfer of 14 federal inmates to correctional authorities in Mexico has saved the United States over $4 million by eliminating the need to pay incarceration costs for the 96 years remaining on their combined sentences,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department will continue such transfers – pursuant to our treaty with Mexico – to reduce incarceration costs and relieve overcrowding in our federal prisons.”

All 14 inmates transferred Friday were serving sentences relating to the distribution of controlled substances. The inmates will complete the remainder of their sentences in Mexico pursuant to the treaty. The inmates requested to be transferred to their home country, and the governments of both the United States and Mexico approved these transfers.

The transfer was part of the United States’ congressionally enacted International Prisoner Transfer Program. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU) administers the program and coordinates all treaty-based international prisoner transfers.

Under the program, approved foreign national inmates in federal and state prisons are transferred, under certain circumstances, to complete their prison sentences in their native countries’ prisons. The United States has entered into 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions. These international agreements give the United States transfer treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.

To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu 

STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA HOSTS ANNUAL BACKPACK GIVEAWAY AND RESOURCE FAIR

 

MAYOR ADAMS AND NYPD COMMISSIONER TISCH EXPAND QUALITY OF LIFE TEAMS ACROSS ALL OF QUEENS FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL PILOT LAUNCH

 

Since Inception, Q-Teams Have Responded to Over 31,500 Quality-of-Life Calls

Pilot Commands Reduced Non-Emergency Response Times by Average of 47 Minutes

Announcement Launches Administration’s “End Culture of Anything Goes” Campaign, Highlighting Mayor Adams’ Efforts to Change Culture, Laws, and Investments That Improve Quality of Life and Prevent Public Disorder on City Streets

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced the expansion of the NYPD’s Quality of Life Division “Q-Teams” across the entire borough of Queens. The expansion of Q-Teams across Queens doubles down on the NYPD’s focus on tackling the daily issues that impact New Yorkers’ sense of safety and well-being, including cracking down on illegal mopeds, towing abandoned and derelict vehicles, cleaning up encampments, addressing outdoor drug use, and responding to noise complaints.

Starting this past April, the NYPD launched Q-Teams in six pilot commands, and to date, these teams have improved non-emergency response times by an average of 47 minutes citywide, while towing 701 vehicles and seizing 318 illegal e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds. Following the success of the pilot program, the NYPD expanded Q-Teams to every precinct in Manhattan on July 14 and throughout the Bronx on July 21 and Brooklyn on July 28. To date, Q-Teams have responded to more than 31,500 911 and 311 calls. The NYPD will continue to expand these efforts to every precinct in Staten Island on August 18 and to all housing commands on August 25.

Today’s announcement also kicks off Mayor Adams’ “End Culture of Anything Goes” campaign. The campaign will highlight the work the administration has done to date to change the culture and laws that prevented people with severe mental illness from getting the help they needed, while simultaneously making the investments necessary to support outreach, harm reduction, wraparound services, and housing — all in an effort to make lasting impacts in lives and communities. Mayor Adams is bringing the same energy and approach that proved to be successful in carving a new path to help people with severe mental illness to addressing other health crises playing out on city streets, and will soon lay out how he plans to realize that vision.

“Every New Yorker deserves to have a level of security, whether it’s taking their kids to school, walking in their neighborhood, going to work, or visiting loved ones. That is why, earlier this year, we created the new NYPD Quality of Life Division and launched a pilot program to address quality-of-life issues across our city, and since expanding the program to Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, the results have got even better,” said Mayor Adams. “These teams answered more than 31,500 calls for service and cut average non-emergency response times by about 47 minutes. With the expansion of the NYPD’s Quality of Life Division across all of Queens, we are doing everything we can to ensure that New York City remains the safest big city in America and the best place to raise a family.”

“When the Quality of Life Division launched earlier this year, our goal was clear and concise: build a team focused entirely on addressing the conditions that make daily life harder for New Yorkers — and that’s exactly what we have done,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Our Q-Teams solve the daily problems that add up and chip away at a community’s sense of order. These teams are towing the abandoned vehicle on your block, responding to the noise complaints at late hours, and addressing the illegal parking that has persisted for too long. New Yorkers should feel safe on every block, in every community, and throughout every borough, and with this expansion to every precinct in Queens, we are one step closer to making that a goal reality.”

Program Results

On April 14, the NYPD launched Q-Teams across six pilot commands: the 13th, 40th, 60th, 75th, and 101st precincts, along with Police Service Area 1. Since the launch and through August 7, Q-Teams have responded directly to communities and made significant improvements to New Yorkers’ quality-of-life concerns.

Six Pilot Commands:

• Responded to 17,341 911 and 311 calls.  
• Towed 701 abandoned and derelict vehicles.  
• Seized 318 illegal e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds.

Manhattan Q-Teams:

• Responded to 4,903 911 and 311 calls.  
• Towed 106 abandoned and derelict vehicles.  
• Seized 124 illegal e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds.

Bronx Q-Teams:

• Responded to 4,789 911 and 311 calls.  
• Towed 56 abandoned and derelict vehicles.  
• Seized 65 illegal e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds. 

Brooklyn Q-Teams:

• Responded to 4,548 911 and 311 calls.  
• Towed 188 abandoned and derelict vehicles.  
• Seized 59 illegal e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds. 

In addition to Q-Team operations, the following NYPD units also contributed to addressing quality-of-life concerns in the pilot commands, as well as in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn through August 7, with the results below:

• Vehicle Response Team: Towed 5,650 abandoned or derelict vehicles. 
• Smoke Shop Task Force: Executed 1,085 inspections and padlocked 198 smoke shops. 
• Encampment Team: Resolved 1,412 homeless conditions. 

Q-Teams are comprised of officers from across the NYPD who undergo specialized training on how to address non-emergency, quality-of-life concerns, including noise complaints, illegal vending, outdoor drug use, unregistered vehicles, encampments, and reckless e-bike and scooter riding. Each team receives additional instruction in discretionary responses to specific conditions as an alternative to using enforcement tools.

The NYPD holds monthly Q-Stat meetings — modeled after the NYPD’s main crime data tracker, “CompStat” — to analyze precinct and public service data related to 311 calls and requests. This process helps examine operation outcomes, identify neighborhoods that are most susceptible to recurring quality-of-life issues, and hold precincts accountable. New York City’s 311 system, NYC311, is a non-emergency service that allows New Yorkers to report non-emergency issues, request city services, and discover information about government programs.

AIR QUALITY HEALTH ADVISORY ISSUED FOR LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK CITY METRO, LOWER HUDSON VALLEY REGIONS

 

In Effect for Monday, August 11, 2025

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, for ozone for the Long Island, New York City Metro, and Lower Hudson Valley regions. In addition, smoke from wildfires in Canada may still be visible aloft, and Air Quality Index (AQI) values may spike temporarily in other areas of the state.   

The pollutant of concern is: Ozone

The advisory will be in effect: 11 a.m. through 11 p.m. 

The Quality Health Advisory regions consist of: Long Island, which includes Nassau and Suffolk counties; New York City Metro, which includes New York City and Rockland and Westchester counties; and Lower Hudson Valley, which includes Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, and Sullivan counties.

DEC and DOH issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5), are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern.

New Yorkers are encouraged be “Air Quality Aware” and check airnow.gov for accurate information on air quality forecasts and conditions. To view the latest DEC air quality forecasts, visit the DEC website.

OZONE 

Summer heat can lead to the formation of ground-level ozone, a major component of photochemical smog. Automobile exhaust and out-of-state emission sources are the primary sources of ground-level ozone and the most serious air pollution problems in the northeast. This surface pollutant should not be confused with the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere.

Ozone is not a direct emission, but rather forms when sunlight chemically reacts with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. High ozone is not as visible as PM2.5 because it is a colorless gas, but will produce hazy skies and reduce visibility in high concentrations. Ozone production can also be enhanced by the presence of wildfire smoke.

People, especially those with cardiovascular disease and those who have respiratory disease (such as asthma), young children, the elderly, those who exercise outdoors, and those involved in vigorous outdoor work should consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity when ozone levels are the highest (generally afternoon to early evening). When outdoor levels of ozone are elevated, going indoors will usually reduce exposure. Individuals experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing should consider consulting their personal physician.

Ozone levels generally decrease at night and can be minimized during daylight hours by curtailment of automobile travel and the use of public transportation where available.

New Yorkers also are urged to take the following energy-saving and pollution-reducing steps: 

• use mass transit or carpool instead of driving, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of pollution in our cities;
• conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions by combining necessary motor vehicle trips;
• turn off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas;
• use fans to circulate air. If air conditioning is necessary, set thermostats at 78 degrees;
• close the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air;
• limit use of household appliances. If necessary, run the appliances at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours. These would include dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters;
• set refrigerators and freezers at more efficient temperatures;
• purchase and install energy efficient lighting and appliances with the Energy Star label; and
• reduce or eliminate outdoor burning and attempt to minimize indoor sources of PM 2.5 such as smoking.?

Additional information on ozone and PM 2.5 is available on DEC's website and on DOH's website (PM 2.5) / DOH's website (ozone). A new DEC fact sheet about the Air Quality Index is available on DEC’s website or by PDF download. 

To stay up-to-date with announcements from DEC, sign up to receive Air Quality Alerts through DEC Delivers: DEC's Premier Email Service. A toll-free Air Quality Hotline (1-800-535-1345) was also established by DEC to keep New Yorkers informed of the latest air quality situation.