That’s Gonna Leave A Mark

New York Raises Taxes On Smokers–$2.75 Flat Tax Kicks In And Smoker’s Lash Out

New York State has raised the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $2.75–the highest rate of any state in the country.  With the new tax law in effect, the total cost for a pack of cigarettes in New York State is somewhere between $6-$8 but depending on where you are purchasing them, the cost could be as high $10.

Needless to say, health officials and smokers are at odds over the issue.  However, given the enormous economic burden associated with tobacco use, I don’t expect the tax to disappear any time soon.  Indeed, some 400,000 Americans will die of tobacco-related causes this year alone–and if left unchecked, smoking will be the worst plague the history of mankind has ever known.

But for the 45 million U.S. citizens who currently smoke, the new tax is definitely going to leave a mark.