HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in AJPH Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Heiser, P F Articles by Begay, M E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Heiser, P F Articles by Begay, M E

The campaign to raise the tobacco tax in Massachusetts.

P F Heiser and M E Begay

Department of Community Health Studies, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003-0430, USA.

OBJECTIVES: Question 1 raised the Massachusetts state tobacco tax to fund tobacco education programs. This paper examines the process of qualifying and passing Question 1. METHODS: Information was gathered from internal memoranda, meeting minutes, newspaper articles, internal documents, letters, newsletters, news and press releases, and personal interviews. Data about campaign contributions were obtained from the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance. RESULTS: Three factors help explain why Question 1 passed: (1) the policy environment was favorable because of the social unacceptability of smoking; (2) the activists assembled a large coalition of supporters; and (3) the activists countered industry claims that the new tax would hurt small business and lower-income smokers and would be wasted by the legislature. The ballot initiative passed despite the industry's $7 million campaign to defeat it. CONCLUSIONS: The apparent influence of the tobacco industry on the legislature was the driving force behind the decision of public health activists to qualify Question 1. Moving policy-making out of the legislature into the public arena widened the scope of conflict and enabled public health activists to win.

Related articles in AJPH:

Dealing with tobacco--the implications of a legislative settlement with the tobacco industry.

K E Warner
AJPH 1997 87: 906-909. [PDF]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. S. Andersen, M. E. Begay, and C. B. Lawson Breaking the Alliance: Defeating the Tobacco Industry's Allies and Enacting Youth Access Restrictions in Massachusetts Am J Public Health, November 1, 2003; 93(11): 1922 - 1928. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. A Ritch and M. E Begay Smoke and mirrors: how Massachusetts diverted millions in tobacco tax revenues J Epidemiol Community Health, July 1, 2002; 56(7): 522 - 528. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Stead, G. Hastings, and D. Eadie The challenge of evaluating complex interventions: a framework for evaluating media advocacy Health Educ. Res., June 1, 2002; 17(3): 351 - 364. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C P Morley, K M Cummings, A Hyland, G A Giovino, and J K Horan Tobacco Institute lobbying at the state and local levels of government in the 1990s Tob. Control, March 1, 2002; 11(90001): i102 - 109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. A Ritch and M. E Begay Smoke and mirrors: how Massachusetts diverted millions in tobacco tax revenues Tob. Control, December 1, 2001; 10(4): 309 - 316. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. K Goldman and S. A Glantz The passage and initial implementation of Oregon's Measure 44 Tob. Control, September 1, 1999; 8(3): 311 - 322. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. A. Bialous and S. A Glantz Arizona's tobacco control initiative illustrates the need for continuing oversight by tobacco control advocates Tob. Control, June 1, 1999; 8(2): 141 - 151. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. P. Pierce, E. A. Gilpin, S. L. Emery, M. M. White, B. Rosbrook, and C. C. Berry Has the California Tobacco Control Program Reduced Smoking? JAMA, September 9, 1998; 280(10): 893 - 899. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. K. Goldman and S. A. Glantz Evaluation of Antismoking Advertising Campaigns JAMA, March 11, 1998; 279(10): 772 - 777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]