It’s official–New York City is now the most expensive city in the U.S. to buy a pack of cigarettes. On June 1, 2018, the base price for a pack of cigarettes climbed to the unprecedented level of $13.
This price hike comes after Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the increase into law after city officials passed Local Law 145 in August 2017 [read more here]. This new law requires that retailers sell cigarettes no less than $13 per pack, a move de Blasio and others are hoping will lead to a decline in the number of smokers in the city by 160,000 in 2020. This is part of a seven-bill package aimed at regulating tobacco in the city.
