Some people really like to smoke, while most who do are simply addicted to nicotine and can’t stop. And then there are those who hate cigarettes, smokers, smoke and the smell that comes with smoking, not to mention the enormous health problems and financial costs associated with this vice.

As far as smokers go, the state of Californian doesn’t have a lot of them, compared to other states. Plus, there are some pretty severe anti-smoking laws and measures already in place. For some people, though, that just isn’t enough. Smoking causes cancer and so they believe smokers should pay for more cancer research with a $1 tax on cigarettes.

Of course, California’s tobacco industry is less than thrilled about the proposal, and they have come out fighting against supporters of this new tax. How afraid are they of this initiative? Well, the people who work in tobacco have launched a $47 million dollar campaign to combat the perceived threat. Guess they’re taking this fairly seriously.

The vote is this Tuesday, and the massive media onslaught on Californians to vote against it seems to be working, at least to some extent. Polls show that the percentage of people in favor of a new tax has come down significantly since the tobacco industry entered the battle.

For a state with a lot of financial woes, this tax could help pay for the cancer research, and re-establish California as a leader in ant-smoking legislation. At the same time, it seems a lot of folks are wary of giving more money to the government, since many believe their taxes were mismanaged in the past.

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