California State PTA Alarmed by Most Recent Smoking Statistics Among California's Youth, Urges Support of Proposition 86.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California State PTA is alarmed by a new report that shows smoking among California's youth is on the rise. This information comes from the most recent data from the Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Division.

Brenda Davis, President, California State PTA stated, "To learn that smoking is headed in an upward trend among our youth is very distressing. We work to do all we can to keep our children safe, yet it is difficult to compete with the enormous resources of the tobacco industry."

The Department of Health Services new report states: "High school smoking increased from 13.2 percent in 2004 to 15.4 percent in 2006. In addition, smoking among middle school students nearly doubled from 3.9 percent in 2004 to 6.1 percent in 2006."

Davis added, "An increase like that is simply unacceptable. We must protect our children, which is why the California State PTA wholeheartedly supports Proposition 86. The time has come for a statewide solution. Proposition 86 will reduce smoking, especially among our youth, and save lives."

The Department of Health Services analysis found that Proposition 86 will help prevent more than 700,000 youth now under the age of 17 from becoming smokers, save 300,000 lives from smoking-related deaths and will save nearly $16.5 billion in healthcare costs.

Davis concluded, "Increasing tobacco taxes is the best way to keep kids from starting to smoke, and every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by 7 percent, according to research by Tobacco Free Kids, a national nonprofit organization. We cannot sit idly by and watch the smoking trend numbers rise. We urge voters to act by voting Yes on Proposition 86 on November 7th."