Justin Velazquez reports for New York State of Politics that it is now September, and that means cigarettes cost an extra dollar a pack. The additional tax that goes into effect Sept. 1 makes New York one of the most expensive places in the nation to buy cigarettes, with taxes now at $5.35 a pack. The Center for Disease Control says smoking-related illnesses are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. A World Health Organization study reports a 10 percent increase in tobacco prices leads to about a four percent decrease in consumption in high-income countries. Meghan Hallihan, a public health educator for Tobacco-Free CNY said, “That’s making it harder for kids to be able to afford buying these products, so it's going to make it less likely that they’ll experiment with tobacco products.... If kids don’t start smoking during youth, then hopefully they won’t grow into adults who smoke.” Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.