Cigarette Tax Hike
New York now has the highest tax on cigarettes in the nation.
Tuesday it went up by $1.25.
That pushes the tax to $2.75 per pack.
As Action News Reporter Caitlin Nuclo tells us, the move is getting mixed reactions today from smokers, and non-smokers alike.
Smokers can now expect to pay as much as 6 or 7 dollars for a pack of cigarettes.
The increase has some smokers angry, but many people are happy with the change.
"Having the highest tax in the country we have the lowest number of smokers, said "Dr. Richard Terry from United Health Services.
Anti-smoking groups say every state that has increased their cigarette tax has seen a drop in both teens starting to smoke and in daily smokers.
They say about 140,000 people will stop smoking because of the added cost.
"We don’t want our kids to start smoking and even smokers who have been smoking for all of their lives agree that they don’t want their children to start smoking, said Christie Finch with the Tobacco Free Broome Coalition.
"Health officials hope that the tax hike will help smokers kick the habit"
And it has for some.
Gregory Winnick says he couldn’t afford to buy cigarettes anymore.
He was smoking 6 to 7 packs a week, spending about 35 dollars.
He says he feels ten times healthier since he quit, and offers some advice to smokers.
"Just find that one emotional push to get you over the edge to quit. Everybody has one," said Winnick.
For Winnick, the extra $1.25 was enough for him to kick his habit.
But Steven Gradijan says he’s been smoking for 30 years, and the tax increase isn’t going to make him stop anytime soon.
"I don’t think that raising the price is going to make anyone quit just because of the price. You want to quit you are going to quit on your own and cost is not a factor," he said.
Gradijan says until he’s ready to quit, he’ll look for ways to save, like buying his cigarettes online.
