The purpose of the creation of the Commission is to implement and carry out the requirements of the California Children and Families First Initiative of 1998 (Proposition 10), which was approved by the voters of the state of California on November 10, 1998. The initiative provides for the creation of state and county commissions to establish early childhood development and smoking prevention programs, to be funded through a trust fund consisting of revenues derived from an additional $0.50 per pack excise tax on cigarette distributors and equivalent increase in state tax on distributed tobacco products.