Taxes on cigarettes

56 Question: Should taxes on cigarettes be raised by $2 a pack? Money raised for “Yes” campaign: $30 million Money raised for “No” campaign: $66.3 million What you should know: California’s 87-cent tax on cigarettes ranks 37th in the country. Supporters, including anti-smoking and hospital groups and insurance companies, are trying to increase it for the third time in a decade. The previous efforts failed after strong opposition from tobacco companies, which are spending heavily to defeat it again. The money would be used on healthcare and tobacco-control programs.