Report: CA Lags in Anti-Smoking Efforts

FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — The Golden State is lagging, when it comes to discouraging tobacco use.

California passed one of the nation’s first bans on smoking in bars and restaurants, but it’s done a poor job of ensuring that workplaces are smoke-free.

The state’s tax on cigarettes is one of the lowest, at 87 cents a pack, compared to the national average of $1.59.

According to the American Cancer Society, for every 10% increase in the price per pack, there’s a more than 6% drop in youth smoking rates.

Proponents a $2 a pack tax have been cleared to begin gathering signatures, for a pair of initiatives, that would be placed on the November 2016 ballot.