ALBANY — You can keep rolling your own cigarettes and chomping stogies on the cheap — for now.
The state budget lawmakers adopted last week snuffed out a bid by Gov. Cuomo to increase taxes on loose tobacco and cigars.
The loose-tobacco tax increase was aimed at closing a loophole that makes it cheaper to get smokes at stores that provide easy-to-use rolling machines.
Anti-smoking advocates criticized the move.
“It means cheap cigarettes will still be available and more people will smoke more cigarettes,” said Russell Sciandra, New York advocacy director for the American Cancer Society.
But New York Association of Convenience Stores President James Calvin said the Cuomo plan would have unintentionally hurt his members while driving smokers to illicit, untaxed products.