Anti-Smoking Measures in NYC Taking a Toll on Smoking
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 7:06 PM

It looks as if much higher taxes and the restaurant and bar smoking ban have contributed to an 11 percent decline in the number of adult smokers in New York City -- this according to this New York Times article (registration required), sent to us by Friend of Vice Squad Will Pyle. The decline was measured by two large-sample surveys, one dating from mid-2002 and the second conducted approximately one year later.

"City health officials and opponents of smoking said they believed that the decline was caused primarily by sharply higher tobacco taxes that went into effect in 2002, including an increase to $1.50 from 8 cents a pack in New York City.

The drop also coincided with a new city law banning smoking in bars, a new state law prohibiting it in restaurants and bars, and the Bloomberg administration's aggressive anti-smoking campaign, which has included advertising and the distribution of free nicotine patches to thousands of people."

Labels: New York, smoking ban, taxes, tobacco