Jack Nicholl is a consultant for the Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing, a project of the American Lung Association of California and owns and operates NICHOLL CAMPAIGNS, a political consulting firm based in southern California specializing in statewide initiative and referendum campaigns. He has consulted on tobacco issues in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma, Utah, Montana, Nevada and Michigan.

Mr. Nicholl was the campaign director for three California initiatives dealing with tobacco policy: Proposition 99, the first tobacco tax increase by initiative in the U.S. which passed in 1988; No on Proposition 188, Philip Morris’ attempt to eliminate all local smoke free air ordinances which was defeated in 1994; and No on Proposition 28, the tobacco industry’s effort to repeal the 50 cent tobacco tax which was defeated in 2000. He also directed Arizona’s successful drives for a 40-cent increase in the tobacco tax in 1994, a 60-cent increase in 2002, and a statewide smoke-free workplace initiative in 2006.  He helped pass the smoke free workplace initiative in Florida in 2002 and a tobacco tax increase in Colorado in 2004.  He was part of the consulting team for California’s Proposition 86, the $2.60 tobacco tax increase which was defeated in 2006.

In his work with the Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing Mr. Nicholl trains local tobacco control coalitions in strategies and tactics for passing local ordinances.

Mr. Nicholl has lectured extensively on public health and how to use the political process to promote public health. He is the author of “Tobacco Tax Campaign Guide,” published by the American Cancer Society, and “Tobacco Tax Initiatives to Prevent Tobacco Use: A Study of Eight Statewide Campaigns,” published in the journal Cancer. He holds Political Science degrees from Stanford University (BA) and the University of California, Berkeley (MA).

jnicholl@verizon.net