Don't Buy Tobacco Products in NYC

[PapaBear]

N.Y.'s cigarette tax climbs to nation's highest

By VALERIE BAUMAN – 9 hours ago

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New Yorkers start paying the highest cigarette taxes in the nation Tuesday with the latest $1.25 spike per pack that officials expect to bring in $265 million a year.

Convenience stores across the state and the smokers who will be paying the price are angry about the change, but health officials hail the tax increase as a success. Cigarette taxes will raise a total of $1.3 billion for the state budget in fiscal year 2008-2009, including the new tax.

"Isn't that something — to say that I'm excited about a tax increase? But I am," said Dr. Richard Daines, the New York health commissioner. "This is a public health victory. We know one of the really effective tools to get people off of their nicotine addiction is to the raise the price."

Smokers will be paying $2.75 per pack in state taxes, a jump from the previous tax of $1.50. Before the new tax, the average price of a pack of cigarettes was $5.82 statewide, and about $8 a pack in New York City, which levies its own taxes, Daines said. The new retail price for a pack in the city could now soar past $10 depending on the store.
An estimated 140,000 New Yorkers will stop smoking with this tax increase, Daines said. That number is based on prior tax increases and cigarette consumption.

"Youth are particularly sensitive to the price of cigarettes, so this price increase is expected to prevent 243,000 youth from smoking," Daines said.

Daines said the tax increase is just one part of an $83 million anti-smoking effort that includes advertising and public service announcements, attempts to get tobacco consumption out of youth rated movies and cessation centers around the state.

"What we really want people to do is not to pay the price, but to stop smoking," he said.

Audrey Silk, who heads NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, said it's ridiculous to expect smokers to quit just because the price is climbing. She switched to rolling her own cigarettes since the last New York City tax increase and suggests other smokers will find similar ways to satisfy nicotine cravings.

"No product has a tax at this rate on it," Silk said. "If there was, there would be screaming, but since we've been beaten into submission and nobody listens to us, what else is there to do? It's unjustifiable and you turn to alternatives, and any consumer group would do the same."

Convenience stores, which historically count on cigarette sales, have also objected to the tax, saying it will drive smokers — and dollars — elsewhere.

"The tax increase is only going to feed that epidemic," said Jim Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores. "More and more smokers in New York state are going to abandon our stores that have to charge the tax and shift their purchases to places that don't charge the tax, most notably Native American stores, the Internet and bootleggers."

On the Net:
New York State Smokers' Quitline: http://www.nysmokefree.com
NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment: http://www.nycclash.com

[Iron Man]

How do they expect to get any revenue when everyone will go somewhere else for the tobacco?

[TXCharlie]

How do they expect to get any revenue when everyone will go somewhere else for the tobacco?

+1 - The black market smugglers and "under the counter" sales are the biggest winner. I bet U-Haul does a booming business hauling tax-free cigarettes into NYC.

I don't smoke, but I've seen ads here for $1.75/pack for generics and off-brands, and $3.99 for Camels.

I think there's some Chactaw indian reservations in Oklahoma where they can be bought even cheaper, with no Federal or State tax, as it is in states where you used to could get them tax-free from factory outlets in the same state that they're made. I don't know if they've closed that loophole or not, but that used to generate a lot of revenue for U-Haul, too, even though when you rip the Feds for their tax money, the penalities can be worse than murder.

[Just KC]

Good thing I don't smoke.......couldn't afford it.

[hush29]

Thankfully, I don't smoke.

[dadyswat]

Talked to my dad in PA and he said they're coming over from NY in droves.

[Kate]

I don't smoke and it's a good thing. I'd be poor by now!

I know there a lot of people from my county who go into Delaware to buy cigarettes & alcohol because there is no sales tax.

[JAYBIRD33081]

I do smoke about a half a pack aday. i was smoking about 2 packs aday about a year ago. had to cut down cuz of cost here and MN is way cheaper than NY. Man the gov is just hating on smokers.

[Iron Man]

Its the government's policy to curb your legal adult behavior through taxation. I personally feel that its not the government's place to say, "We don't like you, Iron Man to use tobacco. We don't believe that you can make a responsible decision regarding its use, therefore, we will raise the Tax so A: The high price will force you to quit of B: We get more money. I'm surprised people don't see an ethical problem with that.

Smokers are taboo now, so they are a very silent group, where as the "it's for the children" group is extremely active in voicing their opinion. Most people don't care one way or the other.

Either smokers/ tobacco users step up, or be prepared for the substance to be outlawed (for the children of course).

Maybe New York needs a Tobacco party. I hardly doubt anyone would notice a few cartons floating in the east river anyway though....

[JAYBIRD33081]

Its the government's policy to curb your legal adult behavior through taxation. I personally feel that its not the government's place to say, "We don't like you, Iron Man to use tobacco. We don't believe that you can make a responsible decision regarding its use, therefore, we will raise the Tax so A: The high price will force you to quit of B: We get more money. I'm surprised people don't see an ethical problem with that.

Smokers are taboo now, so they are a very silent group, where as the "it's for the children" group is extremely active in voicing their opinion. Most people don't care one way or the other.

Either smokers/ tobacco users step up, or be prepared for the substance to be outlawed (for the children of course).

Maybe New York needs a Tobacco party. I hardly doubt anyone would notice a few cartons floating in the east river anyway though....

+100000

I like when states will up the taxes on smoke for like road construction or something totaly off the wall. Well here in MN they just passed the no smoking in bars,food places ect... hell i think they way outa line with that too. No one is forcing non smokers to go to a smokey bar its their choice , but thats a whole diff argument. I do know if i lived in new york theres no way i would be able to afford to smoke. Smokers are a few and far apart now-a-days anyway.

[JAYBIRD33081]

reps on the way to you Iron. (if i figured out how to do it right lol)

[TXCharlie]

reps on the way to you Iron. (if i figured out how to do it right lol)

The first time I repped a mod, I gave him a red rep because I used the arrow keys to try to scroll down or something when it had the green rep selected, which then selected the red rep. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

He was rather annoyed by getting a red tart from someone who had just started using the forum

[JAYBIRD33081]

theres red ones???

[Iron Man]

reps on the way to you Iron. (if i figured out how to do it right lol)

Thank you