(ALBANY, N.Y.) — New York smokers have been sent outside in all kinds of weather, coughed at in disdain, and now they are burdened with the most expensive cigarette taxes in the nation. Now, to add cost to injury, the state is declaring its highest-in-the-nation cigarette tax a success. The number of calls to the state’s Smoker’s Quitline quadrupled to nearly 10,000 calls during the week of June 2, when the full $2.75-a-pack tax kicked in, New York Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines said. Fewer than 2,300 people called for help during the same week in 2007.
“Not everyone that tries, quits,” Daines said. “We estimate about 140,000 New Yorkers will successfully quit smoking. We may have more than a million try to cut down or stop, but this is how you get people to try: give them multiple chances and multiple reasons to stop.”
The increase that took effect June 3 sent the tax from $1.25 to $2.75 per pack. In most of the state, cigarettes range between $6 and $8 a pack, depending on brand and store price. They can cost as much as $10 in New York City, which has its own tax. Smokers calling the Quitline requested nearly 7,900 kits the week the new tax was introduced compared with 1,722 requested the same time last year.
Look for a huge increase in black market cigarettes from North Carolina.
MM,
that is very true..
Its an interesting thing that TOBACCO, isnt as bad as the CHEMICALS added to it..
#5, “So–should the tax policy be set to maximize revenue or to maximize quitting? Fun little issue.”
If the real goal was to get people to quit, then they wouldn’t also propose new programs with the assumption that the funding will come from the tax revenues. The real reason for placing such obscene taxes on addictive substances is that the demand elasticity is so low that politicians can always count on it as guaranteed income. If everybody actually did quit, that money would go away and they would need a new source to buy votes with.
I widh Texas had done something like this years ago. I hated groing up with two smoking parents and always smeling of smoke. Everyone that didn’t know my family was convinced i was a smoker. Lostmy dad to lung cancer a fewmonths back.. he smoked for 40+ years and only quit about 6 years ago. maybe if he had stopped 10-15 years ago, he would have had better chances.. if a restaurant has a smoking section, and we tell them non-smoking, and they sit me within smelling distance of the smoking section, i politely ask for a table further away. I just don’t know how so many people can get addicted so something so disgusting and then get upset when people try to make it harder for them to get away with it. if you don’t care about your own health, that’s fine, but at least be considerate of others who find the practice sickenning. i literally can’t be around heavy smokers because i feel like throwing up after a while.
35,
Addiction is an interesting thought.
did you know that the Chemicals in the Cigs, are more addictive then the tobacco??
http://www.tricountycessation.org/tobaccofacts/Cigarette-Ingredients.html
Look at the bottom, it has a List of ingredients that can be used in Cigs.
I cant stand this crap. If I want to smoke I shouldn’t have to pay a arm and a lag to do so. I know what it is doing to me and I don’t really care. If I didn’t have my smokes I would have lost my job by now. I know its not right to say I depend on cigarettes to keep me cool and all that but I do. Its all mental and all that happy bullshit but I have no will power I did try the patch and It gave me a rash when I could get it to stay on me. I am a hairy person and I will not shave a new part of my body everyday to stop smoking. Also I have a son and I love him. But if he wants to smoke when he is old enough that is up to him. Not NYS we are people but we are being treated like animals b/c we smoke and that pisses me off. I could do this all day. so I will stop for now.
It’s true that smoking is an addiction and I am fully aware of all the risks, I may quit one day but right now I don’t want to. For a variety of my very own Valid reasons. Some pretentious idiot somewhere is reading this with scorn thinking about how they must “save me from myself” but I say mind ya biz! I’m positive that the taxes collected are not going toward healthcare for victims of tobacco related illnesses.. We should sue the city and state it HAS TO BE illegal to overtax my cigs!! There is a very large black market for smokes now. The city can’t cry they loosing money, How can you loose what you never had?? It’s all one big racket to screw my people and you will never convince me otherwise. I’m not even a conspiracy buff but what’s the highest priced pack on the shelf? NEWPORTS!! and who smokes Newports ya’ll?? Already broke and depressed hard working urban folks like myself who already stressed! If cigarettes were outlawed altogether I don’t know which would be higher, the obesity or the murder rates.. and I’m not even trying to be funny… And another thing!! All those constant anti smoking commercials do is stress a smoker out more, and what do a smoker do when they get stressed? Wait for it… SMOKE! We talk about these commercials constantly. I really hate that the gross ones come on while I’m eating. If you having cash flow problems cut back on some of those adds and you’ll find you have some cash. I applaud the free patches though.. TV stations have to play a few public service announcements a day.. why not play the anti-gay bashing commercial during the day when somebody might see it and not at 3 o’clock at night. That’s just how I feel, Good nite ya’ll I need a smoke! LOL