Study: Tobacco Tax Hike Could Boost Jobs, Economy
A June 5 ballot initiative that would raise California's tobacco tax by $1 per pack could boost the state's economy by nearly $2 billion annually and create 12,000 new permanent jobs in medical research and other sectors, according to a new study from the UC-San Francisco Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. UCSF researchers also noted that as a result of the new tax, "Californians would smoke less and spend their money in other ways."
- "UCSF Study: Boosting Cigarette Tax Could Bolster California Economy by $2 Billion" (Rauber, San Francisco Business Times, 2/6).