SLO Health Commission supports tobacco tax measure

The San Luis Obispo County Health Commission urges Californians to vote yes on Proposition 56 for public health. Cigarettes and other tobacco products cost Californians $3.5 billion annually to treat people with tobacco-related diseases like cancer and emphysema. Tobacco is the single biggest cause of preventable death in the state.

Research has shown that higher tobacco costs prevent young people from picking up the deadly smoking habit. The Children’s Partnership wrote, “The rise in the use of e-cigarettes, among teens, is reversing the progress made over the past 50 years in reducing smoking among youth.”

Passage of Proposition 56 will make California a leader in protecting our youth, investing in their future, and saving lives.

The bulk of the money generated from this initiative, as much as $1.4 billion a year, would be earmarked for Medi‐Cal, the state program that provides health care for 13 million people. A smaller amount, $100 million to $13  million, would be used to combat tobacco use.

The Health Commission is proud to stand with the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association and the entire Save Lives California Coalition supporting this lifesaving measure.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 8:21 PM with the headline "SLO Health Commission supports tobacco tax measure."