New York’s government leaders have agreed to boost the state cigarette tax by $1.25 per pack to create the nation’s highest state cigarette tax, WNBC reports.
New York’s $2.75-per-pack tax would jump ahead of New Jersey for the highest state tax in the nation. New York has been ranked the 16th highest with a tax of $1.50 tax per pack.
In New York, the average price of a pack of cigarettes is about $5.82 statewide.
New Jersey’s tax is $2.57 a pack, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The lowest state cigarette tax is in tobacco growing states, including South Carolina where the tax is 7 cents per pack.
The tax would raise $265 million for New York’s $124 billion proposed budget. Much of the cigarette tax revenue would be used for health programs including those to help smokers quit and keep youths from starting.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
18 Responses
Halevai those heimishe Yidden who still smoke will be stop, at least to save money. I personally do not (usually) give tzeddaka to someone collecting for themself if they smoke. Why should I support his addiction and probably he is taking the bread from his family’s mouth to buy cigs. Hashem yerachem! When will people chap that if they stop, so they will suffer for a couple days or 2 weeks max and then the rest of their lives they will be smoke free, not stink like &$#% and hopefully live long enough for the body to rebuild itself. It is a psychological barrier that people think it is too hard to quit. This will save many families from the starvation and many Tzeddaka appeals for families whose breadwinner nebach passed away at a young age (from smoking). Some tayna that for us its different, if you don’t smoke on Shabbos then its not dangerous. Shtuyot! How many of unzere erliche yidden already succumbed to smoking or are seriously sick from this epidemic? Enough already!
Very good decision. I applaud and wish that Israel would do the same.
Good thing! It just might save a life
Hopefully it would help people break their BAD habit. Nothing is as effective as $$$$.
will money succeed in stoping addicts from smoking when the threat of Lung Cancer, Gum and Mouth Cancer, Blood Disorders and a myriad of other aliments has not, it remains to be seen.
perhaps it will, hopefully it will.
Perhaps (hopefully) it will prevent young people (who feel that they are not vulnerable to disease) to not start in the first place.
I cannot think of any other product that when used as directed causes such harm to the user and those in the vicinity of the user.
Highly doubtful that a person from NY will stop smoking due to a price increase. They’ll just buy their smokes elsewhere.
not kewl. cigarettes are already too expensive. i started only buying duty free. this is terrible.
B”H atleast maybe this will stop the smokers a little! don’t ppl. know it is really inconsiderate to smoke in public? ppl. die from second hand smoke, so why would want to be that smoker who did it??
If the money will go to help people stop smoking, ten it’s a great thing.
I personaly smoked for seven years 2 packs a day, I got nicotine patches through a program of the NYC Health Dept. and B”h after this Pesach it will be THREE YEARS THAT I’M SMOKE FREE!!
If I did it, So can everyone!! Yes you can!!
By the way, after I stopped I realized that I feel Better, I sleep better, and most of all my kids used to wheeze a lot, since I stopped smoking, they haven’t wheezed even once.
A FORMER heavy smoker
#7 what is terrible is the smoking in and of itself – NOT the taxes!
I dont smoke (I did) but I dont think taxing smokers to cut a budget is fair even if its a bad habit
A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO REALLY WANTS TO QUIT SMOKING FOR REAL & FOREVER!!
The Easy Way to Stop Smoking:
Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carr’s Easyway Method
to 12, its to help cover the expenses of the state for smokers. Treatment of all the myriad of health problems etc. that happen to smokers.
as a former 2 pack a day smoker for almost 25 years ,with stinky clothing ,burned holes in my sometimes brand new shirts and suits ,smelly car , i stopped clod turkey almost 8.1/2 years .belive me it was extremly difficult in the beginig ,till i realised its all in the mind all in ur brain .i b’h stopped and feel great ,smell great .breath great and walk run with out having shortness of breath ,so to all smokers out there just kick the habbit ,
to chesed can you please give details on how to get the patch and where to get it this will be very helpful
its about time, maybe the rest of the country will follow
Like others here, I smoked 1 pack a day for 7 years, the costs in nyc when I was there never deterd me, I would being from miami or duty free. I quit bh almost 2 years ago after surgery. The first few months were very diffuclt but I got through.. Now I feel amazing and can breathe.. also you are freed! When you smoke its always runing to buy cigarrets etc..
I think cigarettes are a DRUG. They are not only unhealthy to the smoker him/herself, but second-hand smoking can kill too. I’ve seen pictures of a healthy persons lung, and a smokers, and it’s scary. The smokers lung was black and disintegrating, while the healthy one (from someone who was the same age) was smooth, with few scars. Att. smokers: stop killing yourself. Your family doesn’t have to suffer for your lack of self control.