Tobacco.org

EDITORIAL: As spending stalls, so does decline in teen smoking  

Shortly after their historic settlement with the tobacco industry, Florida and other states began investing part of their proceeds in an edgy ad campaign aimed at teenagers.

The message was blunt and direct: Cigarette makers have a long history of manipulating people just like you and luring you into a costly and ultimately deadly addiction. Don't fall for it. . . .

teens seem to like the ads, and that's important. The public's stake in reducing tobacco use is huge; annually, smoking-related health care costs are $2.08 billion in Virginia and $2.46 billion in North Carolina.

Even in tough budget times, it's in the long-term financial interests of every state to stress to teenagers the immense power of nicotine addiction and the painful consequences of succumbing to it.

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