Comedian Grace White gave California legislators a serious talk.

The 58-year-old Colfax resident, who is battling stage 4 inoperable lung cancer, addressed the Senate Health Committee urging the passage of SB-600.

“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Approximately 25 percent of women and 15 percent of men with lung cancer have never smoked,” White said. “We need SB600 to help us prevent more kids from starting to smoke, help smokers to quit and reduce lung cancer in our state.”

The bill would impose an additional tax of $1.50 per pack of cigarettes and an equivalent tax on other tobacco products. It provides that 85 percent of the revenue from the tax would go to the state’s General Fund to protect some of California’s health programs. The remaining 15 percent would go into the Tobacco Control and Lung Cancer Account to fund smoking prevention programs.

White joined representatives of the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association in asking the legislature to support the bill last month.

Since her diagnosis 18 months ago, White has teamed with the American Lung Association to raise awareness about the devastating effects of lung cancer as well as the need to find treatments and early detection methods.

White is one of three women affected by lung cancer who appeared in public service announcements last November. She joined Alison Riddle, who lost her younger sister to the disease, and Dr. Deborah Morosini, sister of the late Dana Reeve.

“There is a stigma around lung cancer because so many people think smokers brought it on themselves,” said Dr. Morosini, whose nonsmoking sister died of the disease less than two years after losing her husband, Christopher Reeve. “Nobody deserves to get lung cancer. The fact is smoking causes lung cancer. If you don’t smoke you lower your risk. But other things can cause lung cancer.”

Other known causes of lung cancer are exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, radon, air pollution and certain chemicals.

On June 24, White attended the first annual Lung Cancer Awareness Day sponsored by the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation held during an Oakland A’s game.

More than 600 people joined a sell-out crowd to bring awareness to the need for prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

White is a member of the foundation board.