More than half of the cigarettes for sale in New York are smuggled into the state illegally – the highest percentage in the country, according to a recent report from the Tax Foundation.
According to the non-partisan research group, increased excise taxes on cigarettes to discourage smoking have, in fact, created lucrative incentives for black market trafficking between states.
According to the report, 56.9 percent of the cigarettes sold in the Empire State are brought in from other states. New York state has the highest cigarette taxes in the country – a whopping $4.35 a pack. If you live in New York City, it’s another $1.50 per pack, bringing taxes to $5.85 per pack, with the overall cost of a pack in the city in the $12 to $15 range.
Read more at FOX NEWS.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
Fox would prefer to encourage people to smoke??? Instead of cutting the tax we should provide lifetime free room and board for as many cigarette smugglers as possible, as they have blood on their hands. More people die from the effects of cigarettes than from homicides, suicides, terrorists, and auto accidents put together.