Would You Vote for Prop. 29?

For those who participated in the city's recent Relay for Life, you've already heard a lot about Prop. 29, which would raise the price of a pack of cigarettes in California by $1 if voters pass it on June 5.

Now, voters are going to be hearing a lot more about Prop. 29. As it gets closer to the primary election, TV and radio ads, as well as mailers, have all started coming out to sway voters one way or another.

The $1 tax, which would be on top of the 87 cents in cigarette tax Californians already pay per pack, would go toward cancer research, smoking cessation programs and youth smoking prevention.

According to a , the tax initiative could bring in an estimated $855 million annually.

But it's unclear how much, if any, of the nearly $1 trillion would stay in California.

As expected, large tobacco companies are already campaigning to defeat Prop. 29, saying the measure is "a flawed and poorly drafted measure." A website funded primarily by Phillip Morris USA and the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company claims the measure "shortchanges schools, creates massive overhead, permits conflicts of interest, and has no accountability."

Californiansforacure.org, with major funding provided by the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the American Cancer Society of California, says large tobacco companies will "say, do, and spend anything to deceive Californians about Prop. 29."

Do you support the additional tax, or do you think cigarettes are taxed enough already?