Meanwhile, Clinton plans to make a strong statement today in support of the 20-cent-a-pack cigarette tax increase included in the Senate version of the budget.

CNN: White House Says Tax Compromise Unacceptable

People are a "little bit ashamed" to be seen carrying a cigarette pack with one of the new warnings on it, Dolmen's Christophe Blanc told Reuters news agency.

BBC: Smoky bar

But a Congressional Budget Office analysis of the financial impact of a 50-cent-per-pack increase in cigarette taxes shows that while cutting the number of smokers trims government outlays over the short run, the increased longevity and higher end-of-life expenses of non-smokers eventually would cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more from Medicare and Social Security.

FORBES: Fewer Smokers Means Higher Taxpayer Costs, Study Finds

Most studies conclude a cigarette costs 10 minutes of life, so a pack-a-day smoker (20 cigarettes a day) loses 13.9% of a year to the habit over the long haul.

FORBES: The World's Heaviest-Smoking Countries

Last month, the Bloomberg administration unveiled a proposal to keep cigarettes out of sight in stores until an adult customer asks for a pack, as well as stopping shops from taking cigarette coupons and honoring discounts.

WSJ: NYC proposes raising age for cigarette purchases