By Katherine Waters

Sun Staff Intern

CHENANGO COUNTY– “A week of cigarettes or a bag of groceries?” asked a Tobacco Free Chenango advertisement this week. This is the major question that most smokers will have to ask themselves due to the increase in cigarette tax on Tuesday.

The Cigarette Excise tax was increased from $1.50 to $2.75, making New York’s cigarette tax the highest in the country. The reason for such an increase in tax is “to attempt to reduce the prevalence of smoking,” said James Mutabiilwa of Tobacco Free Chenango, a program of Chenango Health Network.