Big tobacco and the Republican party are opposing California imposing a $1 per pack tax that would be used to fund cancer research. Bog tobacco opposes the tax so that sales of carcinogens can continue at higher levels. If passed, the tax imposed by Proposition 29 would result in California becoming the second largest funder of cancer research, and the tax also would discourage smoking. The human and financial costs of smoking are obscene – millions of lung cancer deaths and $1.5 trillion in costs per year on a global basis – specifics here with links.
For an interesting contrast, consider events in Saudi Arabia as to smoking. There, plans are being put in place to close down entities that sell tobacco to children. Pasted below is the lead paragraph from the article:
Manama: Saudi Arabia’s eastern province has banned smoking in restaurants and closed areas.
Under a new anti-smoking law, no shop can display a poster encouraging or indicating smoking and any shop, regardless of its size, caught selling cigarettes to 18-year-olds and under will be shut down.
The new anti-smoking laws took effect on Saturday.