New anti-smoking measures announced in New York
Bill de Blasio, New York’s mayor has announced several new anti-tobacco measures. Seven different measures will actually be implemented over the next few months. Their goal is to strongly reduce the number of smokers in New York. Restrictions concerning vaping will also be part of this effort. And thease measures will certainly not please everyone.
Bill de Blasio has decided to launch an ambitious plan to fight against tobacco. The Mayor of New York has thus announced an important increase of the cigarette pack price. It will go up from 10,5 to 13 dollars, a price most deem deterrent. This will be the most expensive price for a cigarette pack all across the US. The number of stores will go down in the city and a 10% tax will be applied on other tobacco-based products.
E-cigarettes are also concerned by this fight. The number of stores will decrease by 50% and a strong increase in license cost is expected for those establishments that wish to renew them.
This set of measures has a very precise goal: bring the number of smokers down in the city over the next few months. New York has today 900.000 smokers, namely one person out of ten. Thanks to these measures, this figure could reach 740.000 people in 3 years, according to Mayor de Blasio.
To back his decision, the mayor has claimed that tobacco, which is presented as « one of the first causes of premature death in the country » kills 12.000 New Yorkers ever year. It is obvious that the mayor hopes to « save lives » thanks to those measures. But he’ll most probably face the miscontent of New York’s vapers and smokers before next municipal elections which will take place in November.
