Friday, February 23, 2007

Healthy New York City

Recently, the New York City Board of Health passed an amendment to the city health code to slowly phase out artifical trans fats in all food items served at restaurants by July 1, 2008.

Prior to that, the other major public health initiative undertaken by the city was the smoking ban, which took effect on April 1, 2003. The ban covered all workplaces including bars, restaurants, cafes, pool halls and offices. In addition, the city and state imposed an additional $1 tax on every pack of cigarettes, making New York among the nation's most expensive places to smoke.

This photo of a small convenience store is advertising cigarette sales at $6.60 per pack. The prices at other stores are closer to $7.

So how much is a pack of cigarettes in your city?