Tim Williams and Nick Reisman report for New York State of Politics that New York's tax on cigarettes increases from $4.35 to $5.35 a pack in September. The state Department of Health says that an all-time low rate of New Yorkers are smoking now, at 12 percent. But officials hope the higher tax rate will mean fewer than 1.7 million New Yorkers smoking regularly. Nationally, Sarah Ravenhall, executive director of the New York State Association of County Health Officials, says that every ten percent increase in cigarette taxes reduced youth smoking by seven percent, and overall smoking rates by four percent. Lawmakers also proposed a menthol flavor cigarette ban in the state budget, but that encountered opposition from some legislators, who got it out of the budget. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.