Source: New York Post
Date: 2010-07-03
Author: AMBER SUTHERLAND, KEVIN FASICK And JENNIFER FERMINO,

The price on a pack of cigarettes has skyrocketed to $14.50 at
some New York City stores thanks to a hefty new tax -- leaving
even the most nicotine-addicted buttheads considering nixing
their fix.

"This is my last cigarette ever!" fumed William MacLeod, 45, of
Brooklyn. "At $15 a pack, this is ridiculous. It\'s a good excuse
for me to quit."

Ella Maxine, a small-business owner from Park Slope, Brooklyn,
almost choked on her smokes when she had to plunk down $15 for a
pack of American Spirits cigarettes at Smiler\'s Deli on Fifth
Avenue near 46th Street. . . .

"I feel like I deserve to pay the idiot tax for smoking in the
first place," she confessed.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Altria, the parent company for tobacco
giant Philip Morris, said raising cigarette taxes will only hurt
New York.

"It will provide even greater incentives for consumers to
purchase contraband cigarettes to avoid paying these extremely
high taxes and will cause further loss of business to New York
retailers selling state-taxed cigarettes," David Sutton told
CNNMoney.com.