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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. . . .

But the good news began to drift away after funding for the national campaign expired and lawmakers in several states began shifting tobacco proceeds from anti-smoking programs to other projects.

Officials at the CDC say now that the decline in teen smoking appears to have stalled. After climbing to 23 percent in 2005, the proportion of teens who smoke hit a low of 20 percent in 2007 -- roughly the same, statistically, as in 2003. . . .

Other states, struggling with budget constraints in a tough economy, aren't investing as much. Virginia included $14.5 million this fiscal year for prevention programs, $1 million more than a year ago but still well below the minimum . . .

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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