Unsurprisingly, crime was a dominating theme of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent State of the State address. But tucked away in the 276-page State of the State book is a plan to throw New York’s criminals a fresh business opportunity in illicit markets. Gov. Hochul wants to ban all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, along with a hike in the cigarette tax.
New York already enjoys the dubious honor of having the highest rate of illegal cigarette smuggling in the country. More than half of all cigarettes smoked in New York come from smuggled sources. The black market sales cost New
