Big Tobacco knows that if people smoke one less cigarette a day, the industry will lose billions of dollars. So it is no surprise that out-of-state tobacco companies are spending more than $10 million here to try to defeat Amendment 72 through a barrage of negative and misleading ads.
Big Tobacco has a history of fighting any legislation that will affect their profits. They have poured millions into opposing local and statewide restrictions on smoking in public places and workplaces, and laws restricting sales of cigarettes to youth. They have opposed every attempt to raise the cigarette tax in Colorado since 1990.
Big Tobacco spends $134 million in Colorado each year to market a product that when used as intended causes disease and death. Amendment 72 will help counter Big Tobacco’s efforts and will more than double the amount of funding for Colorado’s tobacco-prevention and cessation program that is funded by the current cigarette tax.
I urge you to vote “yes” on Amendment 72 and help us beat Big Tobacco.
Pete Bialick, Boulder
The writer is president of Colorado’s Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution.
Submit a letter to the editor via or check out our for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
