N3

New York has the highest cigarette taxes in the country. The price of an average pack of cigarettes in New York City is $13.00. The combined state and city taxes are $5.85 a pack. The average income of smokers is less than that of non-smokers. Is this tax on cigarettes a progressive, regressive, or proportional tax? Question content area bottom Part 1 The cigarette tax is a ______ tax because ______. A. regressive; smokers on average have lower incomes than non-smokers B. proportional; $5.85 is a constant 45 percent of $13.00 C. progressive; smoking is bad for health D. regressive; it lowers the sponsorships by tobacco companies that benefit the rich E. regressive; it hits older people hardest