 During the decade prior to 2009, he was the chair of Tulane's department of community health sciences.From May 2009 until January 2014, Farley was the commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.While he held this position, he promoted multiple public health policies in New York City, including banning smoking in the city's parks and beaches, raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21, and oversaw the coordination of the National Salt Reduction Initiative.