Jump to full article: AP, 2003-05-04
Author: Associated Press, 5/4/2003 14
Intro: Anti-smoking groups are worried they will lose tobacco prevention, treatment and enforcement programs unless $3 million is put back into the state budget making its way through the Legislature.
Debbie Carluccio of the Smoke Free New Hampshire Alliance says the programs have helped cut smoking in middle and high school pupils. But she worries if the money is not restored, the progress will be lost and more kids will begin smoking.
She says the state's Tobacco Prevention and Control Program and the 18 community coalitions it finances are at stake. . .
''To act as if we have eliminated funding for all state alcohol, drug and tobacco prevention and treatment programs is misleading,'' Weyler said.
Weyler said the $3 million in tobacco settlement funds that had been given to the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program was used mostly to pay private contractors who ran prevention and cessation programs.
According to Weyler, $29 million in the Health and Human Services Budget and $1.3 million in the education budget is earmarked for alcohol, drug and tobacco prevention programs.
''The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program will still exist,''
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