Except the actual cigarettes of course, those still generate too much money, but that won’t stop the behavioral police from finding innovative ways to make smoking of said legal product unlawful. This time around, politicians have set their targets on adult drivers who light up with kids under 14 in the vehicle. And it won’t matter if the windows are rolled down or not. Read more »
$20 mill a month. That’s how much New York is losing in revenue to the illicit cigarette market according to the Post. Illegal shipments of cigarettes, from all over, are flooding the state as people realize there’s drug money to be made in wake of this summer’s extremely high tax increase. Cigarettes in New York are now the most expensive in the nation and apparently, the most likely to be bootlegged too.
The federal government is thinking about decorating cigarette packages with graphic pictures of dead people, dirty lungs, and sufferers of “chimney throat,” because they don’t want you to emit smoke from your neck (it’s bad form), or catch cancer. But cigarette makers are against this new public art campaign, because all the gross pictures will detract from their brands. Read more »
Sold in as an emergency spending measure to keep the the state government from shutting down, ha!, last night, the legislature voted to increase taxes on cigarettes by $1.60 per pack, raising the cost to $4.35, the highest in the nation. Once federal/city taxes are tacked on, New Yorkers can expect to pay about $11.50 a pop, which should do wonders for the black market.
With no clear economic vision for NY and the looming threat of a government shutdown, Governor Paterson reached a deal with lawmakers to increase taxes on tobacco products! With the city’s oppressive taxes that would make a dimebag cheaper than a pack of cigarettes.
How will New Yorkers celebrate the 34th annual Great American Smokeout? By smoking of course. |NYDN|
Performing his human ashtray stunt on Saturday, magician Richie Magic suppressed his urge to vomit long enough to break the little known world record for “orally extinguishing, chewing and expelling” 200 cigarettes. The cancer stick-chomping magician proudly proclaimed, “Kids told me it was so disgusting that they’d never smoke. I couldn’t be happier.” |NYDN|
As some type of inspiration to others, a cigarette-smoking magician will close out his 40-year habit by stubbing out 200 cancer sticks in his mouth. Richie Magic will perform the human ashtray feat outside his Queens magic shop tomorrow night. After recently setting an unenviable record for “stuffing 20 lit cigarettes in his mouth in 29 seconds,” the 53-year-old former corrections officer has spent weeks training for his new publicity stunt. This month Magic has eaten more than 2,000 cigarettes, which he admits is disgusting. |NYDN|
Photo by Noonan/NYDN
The country often credited with fomenting some of the earliest forms of democracy is taking a turn for the fascist as Greece announced a comprehensive ban on smoking in basically all public places and even in vehicles starting July 1st. But in a nation where 40% of the population is addicted to nicotine and “defying the authorities is a national sport,” it’s easier said than done. So, officials are instituting a heavy 500 euro ($700) penalty on smoke-inhaling lawbreakers caught defying the ban and businesses that repeatedly flaunt the law could “risk losing licenses.” |BBC|
New York City has some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the country, banning people from lighting up at work and many public places. Although the laws have helped clear the air, a new study from the city’s health department suggests they’re not enough to protect non-smokers from cancer-causing clouds. The study found 57 percent of non-smoking New Yorkers tested positive for cotinine, a non-harmful nicotine byproduct indicative of secondhand smoke exposure, significantly higher than the 45 percent national average. Read more »
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