Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi was joined today by Tedd Levy of Freeport Pride, representatives from the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, and local youth agencies to once again call on New York State to pass a $2 per pack cigarette tax in order to close the county’s $27 million budget gap.

“I have been a strong advocate of ensuring that Nassau County gets the same cigarette tax New York City has had for years,” said County Executive Suozzi. “This will help us close our budget gap and avoid having to further raise property taxes, cut funding to our youth agencies, and layoff county workers, while helping to reduce smoking. In order to do that we need Albany's permission, and so far Albany has not acted.”

In February, during a special session of the Nassau County Legislature, Suozzi outlined a three-point deficit mitigation plan that called for $45 million in stimulus funding, $55 million in labor concessions, and $30 million in revenues from legislative items. The items, in addition to the $2 per pack cigarette tax, include a traffic ticket surcharge and a red-light camera initiative. So far, the state legislature has only approved the red-light camera initiative.

A tax on the sale of cigarettes would bring in $20 million a year in revenue to the county.

“This is a win-win situation – an action that will prevent our young people from starting smoking and at the same time puts money into the County’s youth service system that sorely needs it,” said Tedd Levy of Freeport Pride.

“The American Cancer Society (ACS) strongly supports legislation that would increase the current cost of cigarettes. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between tobacco consumption and cost", says Leah Jefferson, Long Island Regional Advocacy Director for ACS. "Currently, there are approximately 160,000 adult smokers in Nassau County, and if current trends continue, approximately 68,000 kids will become smokers. By implementing an increase in the tobacco tax by the proposed 30%, the number of adult smokers would decrease by more than 8,000, and many would decrease their cigarette consumption. There would also be an 18% decline in the number of kids who start to smoke, due to it being cost prohibitive. Therefore, ACS applauds the efforts of Nassau County in being proactive in helping to reduce the cancer burden caused by the number one preventable risk factor, being tobacco use."

“The nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart diseases and stroke, the American Heart Association strongly supports efforts by Nassau County to implement an increase in the region’s cigarette excise tax. The science is clear - for every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes, youth smoking decreases by 7% and overall cigarette consumption reduces by four percent. While the conflict continues in the State, legislative action to combat heart disease, New York and the nation’s No. 1 killer, has come to a standstill. The American Heart Association / American Stroke Association urges the State Senate to reconvene and ultimately work to approve several pending measures that effect heart -health, including the legislation to permit Nassau County to implement its own additional cigarette excise tax,” said the American Heart Association.

“The American Lung Association in New York urges the State Legislature to swiftly pass legislation to implement an excise tax on cigarettes in Nassau County,” said Michael Seilback, Vice President of Public Policy and Communications. “When the price of cigarettes increases, we see fewer kids becoming smokers and more adults making the decision to quit smoking. Enactment of this important public health measure cannot wait.”