Jump to full article: Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal, 2009-10-23
Intro: Health advocates in Kentucky should follow the lead of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The new law will require cigarette packages to carry graphic pictures of disease caused by smoking, accompanied by stark warnings such as "Smoking can kill you," just in case the consumer didn't understand the picture.
Those health advocates need to draw the same kind of stark image for lawmakers in their bid to get the state to cough up more money for smoking cessation programs for Kentucky Medicaid patients. Apparently, a 2007 bill authorized such a program, but it was never funded. Meanwhile, Kentucky wallows in these misery-laden statistics:
No. 3 in the nation in adult smoking rates. (Yes, we fell from No. 1 to No. 3, but that's no cause for celebration.)
Highest cancer death rate in the country . . .
As it is, the health advocates who spoke out this week are not asking for the moon: They want the state to kick in $1.5 million, which would shake loose $3.5 million in federal funds, for Medicaid stop-smoking programs in Kentucky.
One advocate said it is penny-wise and pound-foolish for the state not to offer this life-saving service.
We wouldn't be that polite about it.
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