Industry Influence

Research that will advance the ability of communities throughout California to assess and limit the influence of the tobacco industry

The tobacco industry in California has been inordinately successful in blunting tobacco tax increases and in blocking other policy advancements. The tobacco industry poured over $100 million dollars into the defeat of Proposition 86, which would have raised cigarette taxes by $2.60 and has begun significant investments in the opposition to the California Cancer Research Act. The tobacco industry is a fixture in Sacramento, doling out money to Assembly members, State Senators, Statewide office holders and other governmental officials. However, there are still major gaps in our understanding of how the tobacco industry influences state and local policy and how the state, local jurisdictions, and communities might act to limit this influence.

The Tobacco Industry in the State House

In the 2009 -2010 election cycle, tobacco interests spent $9.3 million to influence California elections and legislative policy. >Read more

What is the tobacco industry doing in your community city, in your county, or in your university?

Using International Treaties creatively to further tobacco control laws and policies in California
Recently-funded research on International health policy and tobacco control in California seeks to:

1. Understand how the FCTC intersects with other health and human right treaties

2. Determine how the tobacco industry influenced, or sought to influence, other international treaties

3. Disseminate this information to the California Attorney General and to the various county and city-level Peace and Justice and Human Right Commissions in the state of California. >Read more