Coalition Says California Should Spend More on Anti-Smoking Programs
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has released a report criticizing California for not spending enough on smoking prevention programs, the Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" reports.
Key Findings
According to the report, 13.8% of high school students in California smoke.
The report said California ranks 22nd in the U.S. in funding for anti-smoking programs. The state spends $70 million annually on anti-smoking programs, but that is just 15.8% of what CDC recommends for smoking prevention programs, according to the report (Walters, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 11/30).
The report noted that in California, tobacco companies spend $656.3 million annually to market their products -- an amount that is nine times more than what the state spends on tobacco prevention (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids release, 11/30).
According to the report, states around the country should use funding from a multibillion-dollar settlement of a 1998 lawsuit against tobacco companies on smoking-cessation programs ("Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 11/30). California will receive $1.7 billion this year from the settlement, but it will use only 4.2% of it on tobacco prevention programs, according to the coalition (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids release, 11/30).
Comments
Matthew Myers -- president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids -- said that California voters next June could approve raising the cigarette tax by $1 per pack through the California Cancer Research Act ("Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 11/30).
He said that the measure would "reduce smoking, especially among kids, while providing much needed funds for cancer research and tobacco prevention" (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids release, 11/30).
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