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History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S2981 REVISED 03/29/11
Title of bill
An act to amend the tax law, in relation to increasing the tax imposed upon the sale or use of cigarettes; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to the tobacco use prevention and control program fund
Purpose or general idea of bill
To increase from $4.35-$6.00, the state tax on a pack of cigarettes, and provides that such increase shall be used for tobacco use prevention and control.
Justification
An increase in the cigarette tax in New York State from $4.35 to $6.00 would be used as a means to deter individuals from smoking. Research shows that a 25% increase in the cost of a pack of cigarettes causes' a decline in purchases by approximately 11%.
New York increased its tax on cigarettes from $2.75 per pack to $4.35 per pack in 2010. As cigarette taxes have increased in New York, the state's success in curbing smoking has similarly increased. Between 2000 and 2010, the New York city high-school smoking rate has declined from approximately 27% to only 12.6%. Despite such as impressive decline, it is estimated that more than 25,000 New Yorkers die of tobacco-caused diseases every year.
The money from this tax increase will not be used to balance the budget this year, but rather will be placed into a dedicated fund to be used for smoking cessation and prevention programs for adults, teenagers and youth. Such segregation of the funds is necessitated by the reality that New York consistently repurposes its tobacco use cessation monies such that it only devotes 27% of what the Centers for Disease control estimates should be spent on tobacco control programs. It is hoped that creation of this new dedicated fund will end the process of diverting funds from tobacco control programs.
Prior legislative history
2009-2010: S.2665 Died in Investigations & Government Operations 2009-2010: A.3300 Died in Ways & Means 2007-2008: A.10409Died in Ways & Means
Fiscal implications
There will be no net cost to the State; new revenue will be generated.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.