Our view: New tax would be steep, but worth every cent.

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then a pound of prevention should be priceless.

That's why Californians should vote yes on Proposition 86.

Some may say Prop. 86 goes too far -- it would raise cigarette taxes in the state by $2.60 a pack, pushing the total cigarette tax to the highest in the nation at $3.47.

It's a steep increase, for sure. But such a hefty tax will discourage and prevent smoking, regardless of how the money from the new tax is spent.

That's good for smokers and good for all Californians who breathe second-hand smoke and must foot the bill for rising medical costs associated with cigarettes.

It's estimated Prop. 86 will bring in $2.1 billion a year. Ten percent of that will go toward anti-smoking efforts. The rest will fund emergency room care, nursing education and insurance for children. These items could be taken up separate from a cigarette tax, but health care is probably the best use for the money.

Prop. 86 is not without its problems. The 14 percent of Californians who smoke aren't limited to purchasing their Marlboros at the local, tax-paying convenience store. Indian reservations, and their shops and casinos, are exempt from charging the tax. There's nothing to stop smokers from stopping by the casino to save $26 on a carton.

Younger smokers won't have that option, and any tax that makes the cost of cigarettes prohibitive for youth is a good thing.

A provision in Prop. 86 shielding hospitals that take money from the tax from anti-trust lawsuits for coordinating their medical specialties seems a bit out of place, but we're not worried. Hospitals already coordinate the kind of care they provide in a region.

Cigarette taxes have worked to reduce smoking in California and other states in the past. Quadrupling the tax from 87 cents may be too much of a good thing, but we expect it will significantly help California kick the habit.

Vote yes on Prop. 86.