Megan Sears
Staff Writer
In a informal survey at the University of La Verne students, four out of five students who smoke said they support a proposed tax increase on tobacco products – if the money goes toward research on cancers caused by smoking. And four out of six non-smokers agreed there should be a tax increase on tobacco products.
Proposition 56, the California Health Care, Research and Prevention tax on Tuesday’s statewide ballot, would increase taxes on tobacco products. Specifically it calls for a $2 per pack tax on cigarettes and an equivalent tax on products containing nicotine, such as e-cigarettes.
“I think it’s great and people need to stop smoking and the new tax would encourage people to stop,” sophomore anthropology major Magali Rodriguez said. “If people cut back logically thinking the health risks would go down to.”
According to the California voter’s guide, there will be an additional net state revenue of $1 billion to $1.4 billion in the upcoming year, with potentially lower revenues in later years. The revenue would be used mostly to increase spending on health care for low–income Californians.
“There’s a lot more money that could go into research, recovery and rehabilitation of people who have attained problems through smoking,” senior economic major Josh Martinez said.
According to Yes on Prop 56, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association in California and American Heart Association support the tax. The associations believe that by taxing tobacco products, it will save lives by getting people to quit or not start the habit.
“I think it’s beneficial because it’s going to keep kids away from smoking,” senior psychology major Angelica Forsythe said. “The more expensive it is, the less likely people will spend money on cigarettes.”
According to No on Prop 56, the $1.4 billion is just a “tax grab” by wealthy special interest groups to increase their income and take focus off of propositions that are more important.
“I think the prop is a total scam,” senior biology major Alexis Woods said. “Only 13 percent of the next tax money is even going to the programs to help those looking to quit and to keep kids from starting.”
Voters who vote “yes” support the $2 tax increase on tobacco products.
“Because of the nature of flat taxes it will help people who are lower class from buying tobacco products,” Martinez said. “It will detour people who can’t afford to take care of themselves from the effects of smoking.”
Voters who vote “no” do not support the $2 tax increase on tobacco products.
“The biggest thing advertised for a yes it that the tax in and of itself will act to detour people from wanting to smoke,” Woods said. “This seems to be a justification for using the money places other than those programs.”
Currently California has a tobacco tax of $0.87 per pack of cigarettes.
The mean tobacco tax in the United States is $1.65.
There are 14 states that have a lower tobacco tax than California and 35 with a higher tax.
“I think the tax is kind of dumb, it already has an expensive tax and people who are already addicted to smoking will still buy cigarettes even knowing the health risks,” senior business major Carlos Ramirez said.
Megan Sears can be reached at megan.sears@laverne.edu.
