No ifs, and, or butts about it, residents of Philadelphia may soon pay more to smoke and drink.
Under a proposal by Mayor Michael Nutter, the city's tax would grow 10 to 15 percent by the drink and a pack of cigarettes would cost $2 more, or about $7.85,
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Nutter wants the extra tax to help bail out the Philadelphia school system, which is in serious financial peril — and doesn't believe it will hurt businesses.
"I don't know that someone is going to flee to the suburbs to get a pack of cigarettes," he said.
If the cigarette tax became law, Philadelphia would have the largest levy per pack in the country. New York City is now the highest, at $1.50 per pack, followed by Chicago at 68 cents.
The taxes would raise $95 million for schools in 2013-2014 and $135 million in the second year, according to the Inquirer.
The proposal calls for the drink tax to kick off July 1 and the cigarette tax on Jan. 1. But both first need approval by City Council and the passage of enabling legislation in Harrisburg, the newspaper said.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.