Hizzoner won’t be hiding the cigarettes after all.
Mayor Bloomberg has scrapped a key provision from his anti-tobacco legislation that would have banned cigs from being publicly displayed behind the counter or anywhere else in stores, The Post has learned.
The proposed edict was aimed at discouraging teens from getting hooked on smoking by keeping the legal but cancer-causing products out of sight and — in theory — out of mind.
Upon request from a customer, a merchant would have had to retrieve the butts from a secure area.
Administration officials agreed to toss the controversial proposal as a compromise during negotiations with the City Council, which is expected to pass the revised plan as early as this week.
Other measures in the bill include raising the smoking age to 21 from 18 and creating a $10.50 price floor for cigarette packs, thus eliminating discounted coupons.
The ban on cigarette displays was fiercely opposed by the tobacco industry-financed Save Our Stores Coalition, which includes the city Bodega Association and newsstand operators. Merchants argued the ban would reduce customer traffic, hurt the bottom line and reduce jobs.