“With
a negative ad campaign totaling nearly $60 million, Big Tobacco has
once again demonstrated its willingness to sacrifice public health for
its own bottom-line. Prop 86 would have prevented 300,000 smoking
related deaths and kept 700,000 children currently under the age of 18
from becoming smokers.
“While
we are disappointed that the tobacco industry’s aggressive advertising
campaign has stopped Prop 86, we know that a majority of Californians
want to both curb tobacco use and fund vital health care services.
“Prop
86 was defeated by a $60 million onslaught of ads, not by a lack of
public concern about the health effects and economic toll of tobacco.
“CALPIRG
will continue to work with the broad coalition of health care
providers, consumer advocacy groups and public officials that supported
Prop 86 to reduce the influence of Big Tobacco’s money on state
politics and ensure funding for the state’s health care priorities.”
