Smokers across New York State are paying a lot more to light up this morning.
The newly-approved state tax increase on cigarettes goes into effect today.
The $1.60 increase brings the state tax to $4.35, the highest in the nation. Add on the city’s tax of a $1.50, and a pack will cost nearly $11 dollars in the five boroughs.
The state tax increase was approved by the State Senate last week in an effort to balance the state budget.
Taxes on snuff and other tobacco products will also rise at the start of August.
(Source: NY1)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
People will moan and kvetch about the $1.60 increase, but I doubt that many will be sufficiently motivated to quit. They should have raised the tax $5.00 in one shot, -THAT might be enough of a financial shock to get people to give up those “coffin nails”!!!
—>>Al Tiftach Peh Le’SaRtan!!!<<—
Dont you get it #1 they dont want people to quit, thats why they raise it slowly they said it openly they want to raise money. they dont care about anyone’s health its all about the money
Many gedolim have forbidden young people from starting to smoke. IMHO every yeshiva, mossad, and Chassidic group should offer their members/followers, both incentives/chizuk and practical help in weaning themselves from this costly and very harmful habit. It would save our community millions of dollars both in smoking costs and in the benefits of improved health. In countries where they’ve instituted prohibitions against smoking in public places, within a few months the rate of emergency room admissions for heart episodes of NONSMOKERS goes down by 25-30%. Think about it.
Por,
Unfortunately many of our gedolim are also smokers. Talmidim learn by example as much as they learn from other methods of chinuch.