Hard cigarette boxes are more durable and versatile for better protection
So, by increasing the price of cigarettes through taxes, the government is trying to make smokers pay the true social cost of their habit
In 2020, following a long-term investigation into an individuals cigarette smuggling activity, a process including court-authorized search warrants, wiretaps, grand jury subpoenas, and other investigative tools, New York seized more than $1.3 million in cash and 6,267 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, according to a press release from the Queens District Attorney.[2] A 2023 raid seized more than 1,800 cartons of cigarettes and $155,000 in cash.[3] But even when successful, policing smuggling is costly and only prohibits a drop of water in the East River of smuggling activity
However, this means many of the harmful chemicals are left behind in the filters when butts are discarded