Tobacco Pricing and Norms In Philadelphia, a pack of cigarettes
costs under $6, while prices exceed $8 in Chicago and $11 in New
York City because of local taxes levied on top of federal and
state taxes. Price is a particularly strong predictor of smoking
among youth and low-income populations. On average, for every
10% increase in the price of tobacco, there is a 2-4% decrease
in use among the general population and a 4-6% decrease in use
among youth and young adults. Successful tobacco control
strategies must address pricing and norms. Our Action Plan -
Assess the impact of increased cigarette prices on smoking,
healthcare costs, and productivity. - Encourage youth to become
leaders in tobacco control policy change through youth
engagement and photo-documentation. - Engage City residents in
civic dialogues to assess support for diverse tobacco control
policies. - Through economic modeling, it was discovered that a
$2 per pack price increase would cut the adult smoking rate in
half by 2050 and save over $100