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OCR Page 1 of 41TOBACCO-
medicaid
Today's debate: Tobacco settlement money
Blinded by blizzard of dollars,
Recoment
states lose sight of suit's goals
OUR VIEW
Few states target
smoking preven-
tion; funds set to go elsewhere.
Up in smoke
Of those states that have funded tobacco
A couple of years ago, 22 state attorneys
control programs, many aren't providing
general made it clear why they were embark-
nearly enough money to make them work
well, with funding well below the low end
ing on a bold mission to sue the tobacco indus-
recommended by the Centers for Disease
try for hundreds of billions of dollars. The No.
Control. A sampling:
1 one goal was "to protect our children" from
Per-capita spending as %
deadly cigarettes, they said in a memo.
of CDC recommendation
As it turns out, that pledge was far easier to
Mississippi
160%
make than uphold.
Last November, the AGs won a partial vic-
Arizona
103%
tory with a total of $246 billion in settlement
Florida
90%
payments. But most states are busy squander-
ing the unique opportunity offered by that
California
79%
money. Programs that would help keep kids
Montana
34%
from getting hooked are taking a back seat to a
New
lot of other tempting spending targets.
Hampshire
26%
Of the nearly 170 tobacco-money bills act-
Alaska
16%
ed on in state legislatures since the November
Source: The National
Rhode Island
Center for Tobacco-Free
settlement, only 27 included money for quit-
9%
Kids. July 15, 1999
smoking or smoking-prevention programs, ac-
USA TODAY
cording to a recent compilation by the Nation-
al Conference of State Legislatures.
Most states haven't bothered so far to de-
pay the health costs of smoking. And those
vote a penny from their settlement winnings
states that haven't done anything to set up anti-
on prevention. And what funding does exist
smoking efforts say they'll get around to it
often is grossly inadequate.
next year.
Just four states are sponsoring programs at
But all these excuses for inaction fall flat.
levels the Centers for Disease Control deems
The CDC says a comprehensive program
acceptable for a comprehensive prevention and
will chew up only about a third of the tobacco
control effort. Some states, such as Texas, have
settlement money, leaving plenty of room for
budgeted only a tiny fraction of what the CDC
other programs. And pushing the decision off
says is needed.
into the future only will make it harder to lock
Of course, governors and lawmakers have
away those funds. Already, in the flush of vic-
plenty of other ideas on how to spend this
tory against the tobacco industry, state law-
manna from heaven. Examples:
makers are finding it difficult to resist the spe-
Rhode Island wants to use its $63-
cial pleadings from countless advocacy
million first installment to balance its budget.
groups.
North Dakota is using settlement money
It's not as if the states need lots of time to
to pay off water project bonds.
invent workable anti-smoking programs. The
Oklahoma wants a big chunk to fund the
CDC has developed a clear roadmap to pre-
state teacher retirement fund.
vention efforts that work.
Michigan's governor wants the money
As state treasuries count their newfound bil-
for education scholarships.
lions, they would be wise to remember from
States argue that these projects were starved
whom they received this money and why they
for funds over the years as tax dollars went to
went after it in the first place.
USA TODAY WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1999
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