THE WISDOM OF NEW YORK STATE'S TAXATION STRATEGY FOR DETERRING CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION, AS INDICATED BY THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH FROM A 'USA TODAY' REPORT OF 2016:

"To help curb tobacco use, many state governments levy heavy excise taxes — a tax the consumer pays when buying certain goods such as tobacco, alcohol, or gasoline. The states with the highest excise tax on tobacco products tend to have some of the lowest smoking rates in the country, suggesting these taxes may (be) effective in lowering the smoking rate. New York has the highest tax on cigarettes at $4.35 per pack — and one of the lowest smoking rates in the nation at 14.4%. West Virginia, by contrast, has the sixth lowest excise tax on tobacco, at 55 cents per pack."

That same "USA TODAY" article (above) notes that West Virginia reportedly has the highest tobacco-smoking rate of any state in the entire nation.

The above factual information was provided in an online "USA TODAY" article entitled "States with the most smokers". The article was written by "Steven Peters, 24/7 Wall St.", and published on June 18, 2016. "USA TODAY" is a daily newspaper published by Gannett, a media company headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

24/7 Wall St. is reportedly a USA TODAY "content partner offering financial news and commentary," an online statement explains. "Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY."