Smokers in New York City will soon be shelling out $10 for a pack of cigarettes, the New York Post reports. Lawmakers plan to pay for the new Children’s Health Insurance Program law with a 62-cent federal tax on cigarettes, pushing the NYC price to a 10-spot—the nation’s highest and more than twice the national average.
Starting April 1, two-thirds of the cost will come from city, state, and federal taxes. A health advocate said the price hike could help reduce the state’s 35,000 smoking-related deaths each year and $1.7 billion in health costs.
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