Bloomberg's Plan Would Make Stores Conceal Cigarettes

By Author: windy citycigar
Total Articles: 26
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The New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg has proposed a legislation demanding that stores should place cigarettes where they are not easily visible thereby making it harder to smoke. He added that his bill will make New York the initial city in the U.S. to compel Cigars Shop to keep tobacco products out of sight. He said that the products could be kept in a drawer or cabinet, behind the counter but not where they could be easily seen by customers. The drive is aimed to avoid people who have abandoned smoking from purchasing cigarettes impulsively and protecting children from tobacco promotion.

He also suggested a second bill that will increase penalties for Tobacco Shop who avoid tobacco taxes by trading smuggled cigarettes, forbid them from cashing coupons and compel them to sell cheap cigars in packs of no less than four. This will act as a further deterrent to smoking as there would be a minimum price of $10.50 for each pack.
However, the bills will ...
... not stop shops from publicizing that they have tobacco products for sale or from showing prices; they will not increase taxes and will not apply to tobacco shops which do not permit minors without parents. The current suggestions will be presented to the City Council for its deliberation.

Some say that the bills if passed will make no difference. Even though they support the goal of these bills, they say that those persons who want to smoke will smoke in any case. They argue that is there any other retail business that is authorized to sell legal products is forced to conceal them from the sight of its consumers? There are many Pipe Tobacco Store that sell cheap cigars and give deals on cigars. They also attract smokers by providing good cigar deals. Critics of this bill reason that how can you hide these tobacco products online from customers? They find it irrational and illogical.
City officials state that smoking even now kills 7000 New Yorkers per year. And in 2002, 8722 people died due to smoking. As indicated by health surveys, New York City’s smoking rate reduced to 14.8% in 2011 from 21.5% in 2002 due to limitations on smoking in public and high cigarette taxes. The mayor said that the rate with high school students have been stuck at around 8.5% since 2007 which is around half of the national rate.

The president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores, Mr. James Calvin said that display of cigarettes on counters has been banned since 2002 as they might possibly be shoplifted by teenagers and since then they had been displayed behind counters. He added that some manufacturers offer financial incentives for placement of product.
The Bloomberg government has banned smoking in more or less all public places like parks, beaches, plazas, bars and restaurants. Nevertheless, the present proposal is a result of some legal losses for antismoking measures.
A federal judge in 2010 cancelled a New York City law which would have compelled tobacco retailers to place frightening pictures of health damage caused due to smoking. He ruled that merely the federal government had the power to standardize cigarette advertisements and warnings.