Reducing Tobacco Consumption in California: Proposition 99 Seems to Work

Abstract

To the Editor.— In 1988, California voters passed Proposition 99, which mandated a 25-cent increase in the state excise tax on each pack of cigarettes, with part of the proceeds to be spent on reducing tobacco usage in the state. Assembly Bill 75, the enabling legislation for the proposition, allocated 16.5% ($294 million) to be spent on antitobacco health education activities until the end of 1991.¹ The California antismoking campaign reflects a comprehensive tobacco control strategy, including interventions known to reduce tobacco use.^2,3Included are a relatively large increase in the real price of cigarettes, a paid mass media—led antismoking campaign, health education programs in schools, and smoking cessation programs. To assess the early impact of this campaign, we used unweighted observations on California from the National Health Interview Surveys from 1974 through 1987. Nine separate national surveys over this period included 27 731 Californians older than 20