The Willow Glen Resident New governor must fight tobacco interests By John A. Schafer, M.D., and Linda Henker, R.N. Unlike the current California governor, governor-elect Gray Davis must be ready to counter the $1.2 million that the tobacco industry spends daily in this state to promote cigarettes, and to stop protecting Big Tobacco under the guise of "protecting business." In a little-noticed action, in August, Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed $43 million toward tobacco control in the state budget. This money, held in a special fund since 1994, should have been spent that year on educational programs to discourage smoking, but was illegally diverted by the governor. The American Heart Association and other groups sued the administration over these illegal diversions, and the case has been tied up in the courts ever since. The legislatively approved budget appropriation would have resolved the case. Tobacco control is a public health problem that, despite its successes, is far from "solved." Nicotine is an addictive drug responsible for more death, disease and human suffering than alcohol, accidents, AIDS, suicides, homicides and illegal drugs combined. Last year, more than 42,000 Californians died prematurely because of tobacco-related diseases such as heart disease and stroke. So what can the next governor do to reclaim California's leadership in tobacco control? * Guarantee full funding of Proposition 99 as passed by the voters and sign legislation to release the $43 million vetoed by Gov. Wilson and reauthorize the nearly $200 million that was illegally diverted. * Run hard-hitting anti-tobacco messages with the Prop 99-funded media campaign as recommended by public health officials, and allow the Department of Health Services to bring back the old, hard-hitting ads that made the California campaign so effective in its early years. * Publicize and enforce the California Smoke-free Workplace Act, especially the provision covering bars. * Enforce cigarette billboard restrictions. * Support divestment of tobacco company stock from CALPERS. The deep-pocketed tobacco industry knows that California is a leader in tobacco control. The tobacco industry, for example, spent $20 million to fight Proposition 10 in the recent election. Gray Davis must stand up to the tobacco industry and work with the public health community to regain California's preeminence in tobacco control. John A. Schafer, M.D., is president of the American Heart Association Western States affiliate, and Linda Henker, R.N. is on the organization's public affairs committee. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, December 2, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.