Urge Governor Brown to veto bill that subsidizes movies that promote smoking

Despite California's ongoing severe budget problems, with cuts to schools and health care and skyrocketing college tuition, the California Legislature passed AB2026, which gives $500 million over 5 years in subsidies to movie companies, including for films that promote smoking.

We have done a report on the health damage that these subsidies do, which is available at

            http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0t9099dr

This giveaway has been justified with claims that it will help the economy and create jobs.  On Sept. 5, the LA Times published a story by Evan Halper on the film subsidy extension bills now on the Governor's desk (AB 2026 / SB 1197). The article cited much of the economic critique from outside the film industry:

            http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/05/local/la-me-hollywood-tax-credit-20120906

Subsequently, the LA Times' PolitiCal blog (by Chris Megerian, Sacramento) followed up, quoting the American Lung Association's May 2012 letter calling for movies with smoking to be made ineligible for state subsidies:

            http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2012/09/california-movies-smoking.html

The collateral damage from these subsidies needs to be called out. California is a world leader in tobacco prevention. Why subvert these life-saving gains, when the subsidies' supposed economic benefits are so much in doubt? Let's make sure public health is visible in this debate. 

If you agree that these subsidies do not make any health sense, email Governor Brown and urge him to veto this bill.

To write Gov. Brown, who has not yet signed the subsidy extension, go directly to:

            http://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php

                        Pull down Subject to: "AB02026\income taxes: credits: film: extension"

Organizations that oppose subsidizing movies that include tobacco include:

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
California Legislature-mandated Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee (TEROC)
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
American Cancer Society
California Medical Association
World Health Organization

For more on the subsidy issue, see http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/actnow/subsidies.html

Here is the email I sent the Governor:

Exposure to onscreen smoking in movies in a major reason kids start smoking.  A substantial fraction of the movies that California has subsidized under current legislation include smoking, which puts California taxpayers in the position of subsidizing the promotion of tobacco use among kids.

At a time that the State is cutting education, health care, and other vital services, it simply makes no sense to use taxpayer funds to promote smoking, even indirectly.

We have done a study here at UCSF that estimates the health damage that these subsidies have already done; it is available at http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0t9099dr .  

In addition to the health damage that these subsidies are doing, the LAO has concluded that they do not generate enough jobs and economic activity to even break even, making them an even worse idea.

I urge you to protect the health of California's children, as well as ensure prudent use of taxpayer funds, and veto this bill.