Support Prop 29: Cut Health Care Costs, Spur the Economy, and Cure Cancer May 8, 2012 Advocacy, CMA, News California Cancer Research Act, Prop 29 0 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking costs Californian taxpayers $9 billion every year in health care costs, and much more in lost productivity. This translates into smoking-caused costs of $15 per pack of cigarettes. And yet, at just 87 cents per pack, California's tobacco tax is one of the lowest in the nation. That doesn’t make sense and, this June, Californians have the chance to do something about it. Prop 29, the California Cancer Research Act, will benefit every Californian by lowering health care costs in the state, by enhancing California's economy, and by funding life-saving research that produces new diagnostics, treatments and cures for patients. By adding $1 tax per pack of cigarettes and equivalent tax on other tobacco products, Prop 29 will save an estimated 104,500 lives from premature smoking-caused deaths, prevent 228,700 children from becoming adult smokers and save Californian taxpayers an estimated $5.1 billion in long-term health costs from declines in smoking. What’s more, passage of Prop 29 will generate $735 million per year in total revenue. This money will be used to fund life-saving research on cancer and other tobacco-related diseases, and to support smoking cessation and prevention programs. Please join SFMS, California Medical Association, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, California Hospital Association, Stand Up to Cancer, and the University of California and vote YES on Prop 29. Comments are closed.
