Whats Your Opinion On Prop. 86?

Question

For Califiornian's... Is raising the tax on Cigarettes a good choice?

Pros: -It will lower smoking among teens
-Tax goes to healthcare

Cons:-Addicts will spend more and waste their money
-Tax hardly goes to Anti-Smoking programs

Does raising the Tax solve anything?

Answer 1

Raising tobacco taxes does help some kick the habit.

BUT, it is another tax on the poor. And people are taxed enough.

Usually when new taxes are raised, the money usually goes to something else other than what it was originally intended for. If I lived in Cali I'd vote no.

Answer 2

I live in California and I have decided to vote YES on prop 86. The California Dept of Health and Services did a report on what would happen if Prop 86 were passed. This is what they found:

Prop 86 will reduce/prevent smoking by 26.3%
- half a million Californians predicted to quit
- 700,000 fewer kids will take up smoking

Prop 86 will save lives
-prevents nearly 180,000 deaths for kids under 17
-prevents about 120,000 deaths for adult smokers
-prevents 300,000 premature deaths

Prop 86 will save CA money
- CA saves $16 billion in health care costs
- CA bring in $3 billion in revenues from cig taxes

For those who say only 10% of the money goes to cigarette cessation programs, actually 100% of the money goes to health care. Emergency room services, treatment of the uninsured, nursing programs. This benefits all Californians. There are strict safeguards on where the money goes.

I concede that this tax is unfair to poor people (more poor people are addicted as compared to rich people.) However, I think this proposition benefits more than it harms.

Answer 3

Smoking DOES raise healthcare costs for everyone, and with my Republican googles on, that just isn't right.

I suspect most smokers are Republicans, so they would support paying for their greater burden on our societies healthcare costs because they ARE the party of personnel responsibility.

So who am I to deny them their wish? Raise the tax.

Anyway, if you live in California and you smoke, you should pretty much get the hint and move somewhere else. Its the most anti-smoking state on Earth. Thankfully, as we have enough bad air here as it is!!!!!

Answer 4

Even though I don't smoke, I think it will cause more problems than it purports to solve.

I have given it a No Vote

Answer 5

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