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• Cigarette Tax Increase Sparks a Surge in 311 Calls  

Calls to New York City's 311 hot line for help to quit smoking surged in the week after cigarette taxes went up in early June, driving the cost of a typical pack up to around $8.50 (and in some cases to more than $10), the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced on Thursday morning.

More than 2,700 New Yorkers called for help quitting smoking in the week that started Monday, June 2, compared to about 850 in the same period in 2007, the city's health department announced. In addition to the 2,700 callers, about 1,600 smokers got free nicotine patches on June 3 at events held across the five boroughs. On June 3, the state tax on cigarettes rose by $1.25 a pack — to $2.75 from $1.50.

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