Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Cigarette Tax Jumps Tomorrow, Free Nicotine Patches in NYC
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 31, 2009
Modified Mar 31, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 31, 2009
Modified Mar 31, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Start hoarding or start quitting: Tomorrow, New York City smokers will cough up at least $9 per pack for even the cheapest generic "Victory" cigarettes. The 62-cent federal excise tax increase goes into effect at midnight, pushing the cost for pack-a-day smokers to more than $250 a month. The Health Department expects the price hike will motivate as many as 20,000 New Yorkers to quit, and officials are ready to capitalize on the sticker shock tomorrow by distributing free nicotine patches. [Here's a pdf of the locations.] NYC cigarettes became the most expensive in the nation last June, when New York State’s
cigarette tax rose by $1.25 per pack (from $1.50 to $2.75). The Health Department says the price hike resulted in more than 2,700 calls to 311 for help to quit over the course of one week—three times the number of calls during the same period in the prior year. 300,000 fewer adult New Yorkers smoke than in 2002, which is partially due to price hikes, indoor smoking bans, and the growing realization that tracheotomies aren't so cool.
Tagged
cigarette
nyc
tax
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say
Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
News
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid
By
Carol Chen
National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law
By
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .