ANTI-SMOKING ADS: New Statewide Effort Will Spend $14M
The California Children and Families Commission, created by tobacco tax measure Proposition 10, will launch a new $14 million anti-smoking campaign, the Los Angeles Times reports. The advertising blitz comes after months of criticism that the commission and its 58 sister county commissions had been tardy in spending monies on tobacco prevention and other health-related issues. "We haven't had a lot of visibility. We are working feverishly to get it done," said commission chairman and film director Rob Reiner. During a commission meeting in Orange County, Reiner described the ad program as "absolutely critical" to getting the word out about services for children. The ad campaign was introduced six weeks before Proposition 28, a statewide referendum which seeks to repeal Proposition 10, goes to the polls. "They are eager to do something before the election. They are worried they would come up to the election and no one would have any idea what Proposition 10 was about," said Ned Roscoe, owner of a discount cigarette chain and author of Proposition 28 (Warren, 1/21).
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