Prop. 10 Would Cut Teens’ Smoking, Survey Finds

A survey of Los Angeles County’s teenage smokers shows that nearly half would cut back or try to quit if Proposition 10 passes Tuesday and cigarette prices increase by 50 cents per pack, health officials announced Thursday.

The survey by the county’s health department was part of a yearlong analysis of attitudes toward smoking among teenagers and adults. A separate poll found that 69% of adults support raising the cigarette tax, and the vast majority also back current smoking restrictions.

Further analysis found that the price increase from the additional cigarette taxes mandated by Proposition 10 would ultimately lead to 75,000 fewer adolescents smoking, preventing 24,000 premature deaths among young people in the county. Officials contend that it would save the county an estimated $1 billion in public health costs.

At a news conference Thursday, health officials said they would use the findings to help hone media campaigns against teenage smoking.

Former smoker and county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky seized on the survey to reiterate his support for Proposition 10.

“This tax is going to discourage a large number of kids who are the target population of the tobacco industry,” he said. “We are in a war with the tobacco industry for the hearts and the minds of teenagers.”

The Board of Supervisors has endorsed the statewide measure that would boost cigarette taxes and use the estimated $700-million annual revenue for anti-smoking campaigns. Sponsored by actor Rob Reiner, among others, Proposition 10 initially had wide support in early polling. But tobacco companies have contributed $27 million to defeating the initiative, and an intense advertising campaign has narrowed its margin of approval.

But county Director of Public Health Jonathan E. Fielding said that when people are asked flatly whether they support an increase in the cigarette tax, the answer is a clear yes for 7 of 10 residents polled.

Although the poll of adults was conducted last year by the Field Research Corp., it was not analyzed until recently, Fielding said. He added that its findings should remain valid. “Our experience has been that the answers to these kinds of questions are relatively stable.”

The survey of teenagers, Fielding said, is not as representative as a poll because it is harder to gather a true random sample of adolescents.

The survey found that 9% of the 400 teenagers questioned would quit immediately if cigarette prices rose 50 cents; 16% would try to quit, and 23% would cut down.