LOS ANGELS, Cali. - Californians vote today on the $1 tax increase on cigarettes. And according to the Washington Post voters seemed evenly split.
Proposition 29 or the Tobacco tax for Cancer Research Act is a proposed state statute in California. The statute proposes to increase taxes on cigarettes by a whole dollar. Currently, the taxes are 87 cents but if the new bill passes it will rise to $1.87.
The bill comes as an effort to improve health and reduce risks of cancer.The proposition is backed by public health advocates and the Cancer Association.
The proposition has caused quite a stir between tobacco companies and health advocates. The New York Times reported yesterday that tobacco companies had poured in as much as $47million in advertisement. The campaigning has been rather successful in managing to sway many voters to vote against the bill. The advertisements argue that favoring the bill will only pour money into other states and thus adversely affect California's economy.
According to a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, 53% say they will vote in favor of the proposition, 42% will vote against it and 5% are undecided.
California currently has the second lowest rate of smokers in the country. And although the state has very strict smoking laws and regulations, it has not increased taxes on cigarettes in the last 14 years, as reported by the New York Times.
