Tax thwarts teens

On July 10, the American Lung Association of New York presented data released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as evidence that the tax increase on tobacco is motivating smokers to quit and keeping young smokers from buying their first pack.
“Making smoking expensive and inconvenient is a recipe for more smokers quitting and fewer teens starting,” said Michael Seilback, Vice President of Public Policy and Communications. “The increased tobacco tax is giving smokers the extra push they need to quit.”
An increase of $1.25 made New York State the national public health leader in tobacco taxation, with a statewide tobacco tax of $2.75, the highest in the nation. An additional $1.50 cigarette tax in New York City makes the citywide tax total $4.75.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of high school smoking in NYC declined from 11.2 percent in 2005 to 8.5 percent for 2007.
The NYC Department of Health has services aimed at teens, while more resources can be found on the American Lung Association web site, alany.org.