Equality California Endorses Tobacco Tax Initiative

Los Angeles - June 20, 2016 — Equality California has endorsed the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016, an initiative to raise California's cigarette tax by $2 on tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, which are taking a disproportionately large toll on lesbian, gay and bisexual communities.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual Californians smoke at two to three times the rate of heterosexual Californians according to the California Department of Public Health, creating a serious public health concern for the LGBT community.

"The use of tobacco products is a serious public health problem for members of the LGBT community," said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. "With tobacco companies focused on luring LGBT teens into addiction, this initiative is our opportunity to help save lives, reduce smoking and improve health care for members of the LGBT community and for all of California."

Equality California is the nation's largest statewide LGBT civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. The organization's mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California.

The California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 will put a user fee on smoking to save lives, protect teens and improve healthcare.

Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in California. This $2 per pack user fee on cigarettes and other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes containing nicotine, saves lives by preventing kids from getting hooked on tobacco, improving health care, and fighting cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.

Nationally, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 30,000 LGBT Americans die from tobacco-related diseases annually. The smoking rate among the LGBT community in California is 27.4 percent, compared to a non-LGBT smoking rate of 12.9 percent, and tobacco companies target LGBT communities through advertising and event sponsorship.

The California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 is backed by Save Lives California, a coalition of health advocates and others that includes the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the California Medical Association, California Dental Association, SEIU California, Blue Shield of California, the California Hospital Association and philanthropist Tom Steyer. The money raised by the tax will fund healthcare costs and research into cures for cancer and other tobacco related diseases.

Equality California is the nation's largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org