Article Summary. In an attempt to discourage smoking, New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg proposed a bill which would set a $10.50 minimum price for a
pack of cigarettes. The bill would also prohibit retailers from offering any
discounts such as 2-for-1 offers or accepting discount coupons. New York City
already has the highest cigarette tax in the country, at $5.85 per pack, and the state
of New York is one of many which already require cigarettes be marked up by a
specified percentage. This bill is a companion to one which would require stores to
keep tobacco products hidden from sight. Although the bills are expected to be
challenged in court, a precedent has been set in Rhode Island, where a court
upheld a ruling allowing the city of Providence to forbid retailers from accepting
coupons and offering discounts on cigarettes.
Source: Vivian Yee, “Bloomberg Seeks End to Cheap Cigarettes,” New York Times,
March 26, 2013.
The minimum price of $10.50 per pack of cigarettes being proposed by mayor
Bloomberg would have which of the following effects on the market for cigarettes?
A) Consumer surplus will increase.
B) Producer surplus will increase.
C) Deadweight loss will increase.
D) Market efficiency will increase.