More taxes, fewer displays can reduce cigarette use

I would like to applaud New York stores for implementing the new cigarette tax. However, the fight against big tobacco companies is far from over.

The change in the cigarette tax has shown a steady decline of cigarette sales, which has most likely stopped new smokers from picking up the nasty habit.

There is another thing that New York stores can do to aid in reducing the number of youth who pick up smoking habits annually. Store owners should begin to consider covering up available tobacco products that they sell in their stores. Research has shown that youth exposure to tobacco advertising in and out of stores has a great influence on their decisions.

Please encourage shop owners to cover up their smoking displays and reduce the number of advertisements they display in their stores.

Amanda Hooker
Schenectady