ND1201111

Title: States Reduce Funding for Tobacco Prevention Programs

Description: Tobacco prevention program funding drops 12 percent this year, the lowest level since 1999.

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RICHMOND, VA ? The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Cancer Society, and several other groups released a new report this week that reveals states have reduced funding for tobacco prevention programs 12 percent this year, the lowest level since 1999, the Associated Press reports.

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States will collect $25.6 billion in tobacco taxes and legal settlements from the tobacco industry this year, but they will spend less than two percent of that total, or $456.7 million, on tobacco prevention programs, far below the $3.7 billion the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.

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?There are no easy cuts anymore. There's the old expression, tried and true, it's not fat anymore, we're talking about bone," said Debra Miller, director of health policy for the Council of State Governments. "All revenue is looked at as revenue for the highest priority programs. ... They aren't ignoring the whole idea of tobacco cessation and the public health issues, the budgets are just such a problem right now.?

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Only Alaska is meeting its CDC recommendation for the year, spending $10.8 million. Meanwhile, Connecticut, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and the District of Columbia did not allocate any funding this year.

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"At a time when they're getting as much revenue as ever ... they're spending less than ever," said Danny McGoldrick, vice president of research at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "It's really a penny-wise, pound-foolish decision because we're going to pay for it (in the long-term)."

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According to the report, states have cut funding 36 percent in the past four years.

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Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising

Formatted Article Date: December 1, 2011

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