New York City: $11 Cigarettes

NYC $11 Cigarettes: Will Sky High Smoking Tax Make New Yorkers Healthier?

Aina Hunter
CBS News
June 23, 2010

(CBS) New York smokers will have to be a little richer to indulge in a smoky treat come September 1.

According to WCBS-TV, Governor David Paterson just signed a bill from the state legislature that will impose a heavy state tax on already costly New York cigarettes.

Now smokers will have to come up with an additional $5.85 per pack, which means a single pack of cigarettes will cost up to $11. They currently pay $2.75 in "sin tax." In addition, tax on cigars and chewing tobacco will climb from 46 percent of the retail price to 75 percent.

Critics say that in a state where people can easily travel from New Jersey to New York to Connecticut, a higher tax here may encourage smokers to buy their cigarettes elsewhere.

"I think people will find other ways, go out of state and stuff to buy cigarettes," Parkchester Resident Tiffany Barnwell told WCBS-TV.

Or they could decide to kick the habit.

A "15 percent decrease in teen smoking will result as initiation of this tax, and a 5 percent adult smoking decrease from the tax itself," said Scott Santarella, CEO of the American Lung Association New York.

Paterson said the hike, combined with a plan to collect sales tax on cigarettes sold by Native American tribes, will raise more than $400 million a year which is earmarked for New York City health care initiatives.

New Yorkers currently pay more cigarette taxes than people living in any other state. Chicago smokers take second place.

Why not just ban the fucking things? Geez.

This is the same price they are here in Canada. The gov't wants the best of both worlds. They kept increasing the tax on smokes here, claiming that hiking the price up would make people quit -- it was for our own good. But they also make millions and millions in taxes and are as addicted to this revenue as smokers are to nicotine, so there is no way they will ever ban them outright because they're a cash cow.

That's what i hate about this kind of shit. Advocates of it say that it's for our own good. But in my opinion, if it's for my own good, then they should be banned outright. Correct? I mean, if it's that bad and the medical costs that go with it, then they should be banned 'for our own good'.

It's nothing but a ruse. That's all it is and nobody can tell me otherwise. It is a cashcow for the grabbers. That's all. But hey... we have Indian reservations here in Minnesota. One can go there, buy cigarettes tax free and there's nothing that the state of Minnesota (for example) or the federal gov't can do about it. They can't make me pay taxes on cigs bought there.

Then there this bullshit that congress pulled........

Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act

A bill to prevent tobacco smuggling, to ensure the collection of all tobacco taxes, and for other purposes.

And guess what? On March 11th of this year, this bill passed in the Senate by unanimous consent. A record of each senator’s position was not kept. No record! That's bull-fucking-shit!

On March 17th, this bill passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority. This usually occurs for non-controversial legislation. The totals were 387 yes votes, 25 no votes and 18 Present/Not Voting.

Goddamned spineless bastards. All of them. This is why i can't stand most politicians. They talk out of the sides of their necks and most people buy right into it... till it's legislation that affects them. Then they screech.

This legislation is to stop people from buying online. It has nothing to do with "trafficking" at all. The gov't wants it's money.... as usual. Every fucking Republican in my state voted yes.

Then there's the other thing here; the Postal Service will lose over $30,000,000 because of this legislation. A postal service spokesman said this before they passed this bullshit. But then the post office is losing money already. Let's help them along in that endeavor, huh?

Then again, First Class Mail and Priority Mail is always anonymous. They can't open it up and find out what's in it.... unless the All Glorious Government decides it can do that on a whim.

What's sad about this legislation is that 90% of the population doesn't know that this passed. I didn't till i saw it when i was working at the post office last week. It was a memo reminder. Nothing in the paper on this or television news. Nada.

TexasBlue wrote:That's what i hate about this kind of shit. Advocates of it say that it's for our own good. But in my opinion, if it's for my own good, then they should be banned outright. Correct? I mean, if it's that bad and the medical costs that go with it, then they should be banned 'for our own good'.

Yeah, how did alcohol prohibition work out for you? From a European perspective, the effects of that are still being felt because America seems to have no concept of social drinking or enjoying alcohol for its own sake.

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:Yeah, how did alcohol prohibition work out for you? From a European perspective, the effects of that are still being felt because America seems to have no concept of social drinking or enjoying alcohol for its own sake.

I know. But you're looking at the 1920's there and things were different (i think) back then. But today, it's the PC assholes who can't seem to get their heads out of their asses. Then you have the dumb ass politicians who toe the line with these lobbies.

They've banned so much as far as drinking goes across this country in the name of "safety."

It drives me crazy how people can even get on these bandwagon based on the fact that the politicians are going after rights one by one, little by little. Not until these PC creeps lose a right they like will they shut their faces. Otherwise, we're going to turn into robots.

I'm telling ya, this country is going to hell in a handbasket because these types of people (and line of thinking).

But in all fairness, if the individual states want to make laws like these, that's fine. But when the fed steps in (like this mail thing), then it's plain wrong.

NY? They can do the $11 pack of cigs and i have no problem with it. I don't live there. The idea of it pisses me off though, because then you'll have legislatures from other states doing the same shit. Here in Minnesota, we have a very liberal legislature chock full of far left wing Democrats. The NY law is right up their alley.

I don't smoke, never have and never will. But I think with the tax being slapped on a pack of 20 ciggies, smokers here are paying about that (£6/$11) anyway. A lot of the tax revenue from them goes into the NHS. Smoking is banned in public places across the EU, including pubs and restaurants, which I am happy with. I hated going into a pub for a quick pint and coming out reeking of stale smoke.

Don't get me started on the smoking bit. Even my left wing uncle hates the anti-smoking movement. He calls them anti-smoking Nazi's.

I think it has gone too far in some ways. Pubs should be allowed to make compromises, such as building sheltered areas (and heated in winter) outside for smokers to use.

For the record, i respect the wishes of non-smokers in some aspects. If i visit someone at their home and they don't smoke, i go outside or i rough it and don't smoke at all during the visit. I don't flick butts on people's lawns and things like that.

Where i part company is how states such as mine have taken it 30 steps further. Two years ago, they banned smoking in any business. Bars, bowling alleys. etc. I was fine with restaurants not allowing smoking to start with. It was their decision and i can't make the choice of whether to eat there. Same goes for smokers. They can choose to go to a bar or they can choose not to. They know the smoke is there then complain later. But how a state can tell a private business what to allow or not allow is beyond me. Last time i checked, cigarettes were still a legal product.

Business in this state have suffered under that stupid law in the last two years.

I know all the pro and con arguments of this subject very well. It's almost pointless t debate it these days. But i'm a sucker for debate.