Cigarette trafficking in New York City: now and then

In the USA, every state imposes an excise tax for cigarettes, and virtually all states require tax stamps. Because cigarette taxes vary widely, traffickers smuggle cigarettes from states with low cigarette taxes into high-tax states to sell them illicitly for profits. With high cigarette taxes and roughly 565 000 adults who smoke, New York City (NYC) is an epicentre for the illicit trade of cigarettes. This study of littered packs of cigarettes in NYC provides a timely update to prior studies given three developments. First, New York State increased its cigarette tax in 2023. Second, NYC implemented laws to combat cigarette tax evasion. Third, adult smoking rates have declined, and with the popularity of electronic cigarettes, a more diverse tobacco marketplace has emerged.

Studies of littered packs of cigarettes examine tax stamps, or their absence, to ascertain the states from which littered packs originated. In this study, data collectors picked up littered cigarette packs in 30 census tracts across NYC's five boroughs. To facilitate comparisons over time, this study replicated the methodology used by several previous studies.

This study found that in 2024, the percentage of littered packs bearing the proper NYC tax stamp declined to 16.6%. Georgia surpassed Virginia as the primary source of littered cigarettes. Packs with no stamp increased, rivalling Virginia as the second most common type of littered packs. Last, Newport's menthol cigarettes were the dominant brand. Declining smoking rates suggest NYC's tobacco control policy has made progress. However, the persistence of illicit trade suggests additional interventions should be considered.