California Cigarette Tax Fight Is More A Battle Of Equals Than David Vs. Goliath
In previous failed attempts, proponents weren't able to match the powerful tobacco industry, but this year its different.
Los Angeles Times:
The Tobacco Tax Campaign Has Reached $100 Million. But This Time Something's Different
Never before have tobacco companies spent so much trying to defeat a cigarette tax hike in California. The $71 million raised by opponents of this year’s Proposition 56, which would add a $2 per pack tax on cigarettes, to date tops the industry’s totals in 2006 and 2012, when R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris successfully knocked down previous tobacco tax hikes at the ballot. But unlike those previous failed campaigns, proponents of this tobacco tax hike have done a lot more to match the industry’s dollars. (Dillon, 11/1)
In other news, a study finds that nearly one-third of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking —
The New York Times:
A New Death Toll For Smoking
A new study has found that 28.6 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States are attributable to cigarette smoking. Researchers calculated the number using the relative risks for 12 smoking-related cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia, mouth cancers, and those of the esophagus, stomach and colon. (Bakalar, 10/31)
