Drive Begins to Raise Cigarette Tax to Pay for Children’s Programs

Launching a new crusade against smoking, a group led by actor-director Rob Reiner kicked off an initiative drive Wednesday aimed at hiking the state cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack. The proceeds would pay for expanded programs to benefit early childhood development.

The initiative would create a seven-member state commission, consisting of health and child development experts, to establish education programs in areas such as child care, parenting techniques and preventing drug and alcohol abuse by pregnant women.

But the vast majority of the tax revenues would go to California’s counties to pay for expanded early child development programs.

Reiner, who has been politically active in recent years on issues involving early child development, has put up $50,000 toward qualifying the measure for the November 1998 ballot.

To qualify for the state ballot, supporters of the proposed initiative must obtain 693,230 valid signatures of registered voters by next summer. The proposed measure is one of more than a dozen in circulation, including a proposal to raise cigarette taxes by 50 cents a pack to pay for after-school tutorial programs.