Exclusive: Poll shows New York City voters sour on Hochul ZYN tax proposal

Reuters/Dennis Schneidler

(New York, New York) – With just weeks left until New York’s budget deadline, opponents of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed 75 percent tax on nicotine pouches have some bad news for the state’s top Democrat: Even among New York’s most liberal voters, Hochul’s proposed tax is unpopular.

In results of a survey of 517 New Yorkers who voted in last year’s mayoral race exclusively shared with WABC, Morning Consult found that only 46 percent of New York City mayoral race voters support the proposed nicotine pouch tax. Worse yet for Hochul, only 26 percent strongly support it—despite the fact that the poll surveyed only the most left-leaning voters in the state.

47 percent of those polled voted for current New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, 30 percent voted for Andrew Cuomo, 12 percent voted for Curtis Sliwa, and 11 percent declined to say who they voted for.

In sharp contrast with the minority support for a nicotine pouch tax, 67 percent of those surveyed favored a one percent tax increase on New Yorkers earning $10 million or more per year, with 47 percent strongly favoring it.

Meanwhile, a one percent tax increase on hedge fund and private equity managers also snagged more support: 51 of New York City mayoral election voters back that idea, and 34percent strongly endorse it.

The lack of backing for heavy taxes on nicotine pouches may be attributable to the fact that even President Joe Biden’s FDA found the products are less harmful than cigarettes. President Trump’s FDA last week indicated it might be even more proactively favorable towards less harmful products like nicotine pouches being marketed, with more research showing the value of flavored products in enabling adult smokers to reduce their harm.

Notably, fewer than a third of those surveyed by Morning Consult said that nicotine pouches should be taxed the same or more than cigarettes—the exact policy Hochul’s budget lays out.

Another reason why Hochul’s proposed tax may be unpopular: As many as 39 percent of respondents either use nicotine pouches or have close family or friends who do. That 39 percent number is higher than the proportion of the population that smokes, meaning the Hochul nicotine pouch tax would hit far more widely.

The poll also hints that New York City mayoral voters aren’t buying Hochul’s rationale for pursuing the tax.

Notably, 58 percent of those surveyed indicated they saw social media as a greater threat than nicotine pouches, which were seen as the greatest threat by a mere 18 percent. Those numbers may be little surprise in view of data released last week in the form of the National Youth Tobacco Survey that showed fewer kids using nicotine pouches this year as opposed to last, with the current number hovering around about 1.5 percent.

New York’s statutory budget deadline is April 1. Albany insiders say that thus far, legislative leaders have been underwhelmed by the nicotine pouch tax proposal, while other Hochul measures appear more popular.