Golden weighs in on de Blasio’s anti-smoking initiatives
Fears Raising the Cost of Tobacco Will Flood the Streets With Illegal Cigarettes
The old saying goes, “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em,” but getting cigarettes will certainly cost you a lot more, thanks to a series of anti-smoking initiatives proposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio last week. The hope is that raising the cost for a pack of cigarettes to $13 will discourage people from buying tobacco products. De Blasio’s new initiatives will set minimum prices for cigarettes and create taxes on other kinds of tobacco products such as small cigars and smokeless tobacco.
According to the report from the office of the mayor, de Blasio’s goal is to reduce the city’s 900,000 smokers by 160,000. Around 12,000 New Yorkers die each year from smoking related illnesses including cancer and heart disease.
State Sen. Marty Golden feels that a key component is missing from de Blasio’s anti-smoking proposal. “It is disappointing to see that Mayor de Blasio’s proposal aimed at reducing tobacco use in New York City fails to address the underground cigarette industry,” said Golden. “If this plan is truly about reducing smoking and saving lives, we must intensify our efforts at both the city and state level to get our untaxed, illegal cigarettes off the streets.”