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- THE WEEK, Page 25HEALTH & SCIENCEDon't Snuff Out That Ad
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- A California judge rescues a model antitobacco campaign
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- Proposition 99 was a vital part of California's attempt to
- discourage smoking. Passed by health-conscious voters in 1988,
- the measure hiked cigarette taxes 25 cents a pack. A share of
- those revenues was earmarked for an antitobacco advertising
- campaign. The resulting ads won international acclaim and were
- credited with a 17% decline in the number of smokers in the
- state. But in January Governor Pete Wilson suspended the $16
- million-dollar advertising campaign, citing a need for funds for
- other health projects. Last week a California state judge
- ordered Wilson to restore the campaign, saying that Proposition
- 99 "was not discretionary." Said Superior Court Judge James
- Ford: "Why don't they take the money out of something that
- hasn't demonstrated its effectiveness?"
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