Have you seen this “No on 29” campaign?

The first time I saw it, my reaction was… Hmmm… I don’t know if I believe that this gal is really a doctor. I’m not sure why, exactly… maybe because she seems to struggle to pronounce “bureaucracy” and I believe that most doctors have impeccable elocution, or maybe because I find it hard to believe that any doctor would speak out against an anti-tobacco proposition. Even IF the money would be wasted on “brurocracy,” a dollar per pack tax is still a financial deterrent to smoking. And anything that deters smoking is a good thing.

Let’s be clear… Smoking kills. Period. It is indisputable. And, it doesn’t just kill the smoker, it affects the health of people around the smoker, without their permission and against their will.

Smoking kills.

Period.

According to californiansforacure.org, the simple summary of California’s Proposition 29 is: Prop 29 – The California Cancer Research Act – is a qualified ballot initiative that will be placed before voters in June 2012. Through a $1 per-pack tax on cigarettes, Prop 29 delivers over $700 million every year for cancer research and to keeps kids from smoking. (http://californiansforacure.org/)

Personally, I don’t care if they take the tax money collected and put it through a shredder. If it helps stop people from smoking, it’s worth every penny.

But some don’t agree, which brings us back to that commercial with the suspect doctor. Did you notice the fine print at the end? The major backers are Philip Morris USA and RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. Surprise, surprise. Big Tobacco is ponying up to protect their bottom line. And it’s a BIG pony. A $38 million pony.

Here’s what the Sacramento Bee had to say about that:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/05/tobacco-firms-chip-in-another-15-million-against-prop-29.html

How to vote on Proposition 29? This one’s a no-brainer. Big Tobacco is the “fashion don’t” for responsible voters. Whatever they want – vote against it.