States Continue to Slash Tobacco Prevention Programs
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States Continue to Slash Tobacco Prevention Programs
According to the watchdog group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, states are falling short on their promise to provide tobacco education, prevention, and cessation programs, cutting funding for such programs by 12% in the past year despite garnering huge sums of tobacco revenue. The states marked a huge victory in 1998 when big tobacco companies settled a lawsuit that would award the United States an estimated $246 billion over a span of 25 years. With this announcement came a promise: The money would be used to educate Americans about the hazards of tobacco use.
The group is raising awareness of this downfall, reporting that of the $25.6 billion states will collect this year in tobacco revenue, only 1.8% will be used to fund programs that will steer kids from smoking, as well as help smokers kick the habit. This is the lowest level of funding allotted to such programs since 1999—the first year states started receiving funds. The cuts are ill timed, as recent national surveys indicate that smoking cessation rates have declined.
The defunding of smoking programs has been blamed on state budget woes. Only Alaska and North Dakota have provided funding to the levels recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A shocking 23 states and the District of Columbia offer less than 10% of the CDC-recommended amounts, while Connecticut, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Ohio have allotted no state funds for tobacco prevention programs this year.
