From: Newsmax
More than half of the cigarettes consumed in New York, 56.9 percent, are now smuggled into the state, according to a report from the Tax Foundation.
And it’s no wonder: The cigarette tax in New York is $4.35 a pack, the highest in the nation. And New York City imposes an additional $1.50 tax, bringing the total taxes to $5.85 a pack — nearly 35 times higher than in the lowest-taxed state.
The cigarette tax in New York has risen 190 percent since 2006, and the smuggling rate has surged 59 percent.
