Cigarettes in NYC could jump to $13 or more per pack as part of de Blasio initiative targeting tobacco
De Blasio, flanked by members of his administration and anti-smoking advocates, announced Wednesday a package of bills that aim to reduce the number of smokers in the city by 160,000 over the next three years.
"Unfortunately, even after all the fights, after all the years, after all the victories, big tobacco is still very strong in this country. And big tobacco is still public enemy number one for public health," de Blasio said during a news conference at the
Among the five bills introduced to the
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Councilman
"As a former smoker, I know how hard it is to quit," Health Commissioner Dr.
But
"Not only will more adults, and especially minors intent on smoking, turn even more to bootleggers -- who don't ask for ID -- for their cigarettes, effectively producing no increase in revenue or a decline in smoking, but it will increase all kinds of crime, Silk said in an emailed statement.
"Bodegas already experience robberies and burglaries where their stock of cigarettes are targeted. Turf wars will increase between the bootleggers, leading to shootings," she added.
There are currently about 900,000 smokers in
Another bill in de Blasio's plan, by Councilman
Lander also sponsored a bill that would eventually cut the number of retailers allowed to sell tobacco by half in each community district. No current tobacco retailer would lose its license under the bill, but no new ones would be issued until the district's number is below the cap.
A store owner who sells the business would be able to transfer the license and be unaffected by the cap, said
The bill comes on the heels of a report released earlier in the week by the
The other bills would create a new e-cigarette license and require residential buildings to create a smoking policy.
With
Related
Tobacco is taking over city's retail, report says
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