Mayor Bloomberg Wants To Hide Cigarettes

Mayor Bloomberg Wants To Hide Cigarettes

PIX 11- New York-Fresh off a humiliating court defeat of his plan to limit the sale of large sugary sodas in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has set his sights on one of his earliest public-health targets: smoking.

This time, hizzoner wants stores to conceal cigarettes to help stamp out sales of the packs. If his plan is approved, New York would become the first city in the nation to mandate the concealment of cigarette displays in stores. Such restrictions are already in place in several countries, including Ireland, Iceland, England, Canada and New Zealand.

In 2003, Mayor Bloomberg successfully banned smoking in New York City restaurants and bars. Since that time, smoking among city adults has declined from 21.5 percent in 2002 to 14.8 percent in 2011.

Unlike his failed big-soda ban, which was an executive action, the plan to hide cigarettes at retail locations would have to be approved by the City Council. At Bloomberg’s request, a bill would be introduced by Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, chairwoman of the Health Committee, on Wednesday.

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