Research Informs Call for Cigarette Tax Increase

Dr. Michael Ong, chairperson of the Tobacco Education Research Oversight Committee (TEROC) speaking at an American Cancer Society led legislative briefing on May 7, 2012 at the State Capitol, announced that the new Master Plan for tobacco control in California calls for increasing cigarette taxes and in doing so bolstering the tobacco control efforts in the state.  Raising tobacco taxes is one of 7 priorities identified in the plan by the State’s legislatively mandated oversight committee, reported Dr. Ong.  At this same briefing, TRDRP-funded investigators, Drs. Wendy Max and James Lightwood (UCSF), reported on published research that finds that raising taxes on cigarettes will save anywhere between 3 to 28 billion dollars in health care costs for Californians over the next 5 years, in addition to saving lives and creating some 12,000 new jobs.

"Toward a Tobacco-Free California: 2012-2014-Saving Lives, Saving Money (ppt)"

"The Impact of an Increase in the CA Tobacco Tax on Healthcare Expenditures: 2012-2016." (ppt)

"The Effect of California’s Tobacco Program" (ppt)