Jump to full article: Kansas City (MO) Star, 2002-04-15
Intro: When Missouri lawmakers pass the budget, it should include the governor's $22 million for next year's anti-tobacco programs.
Keeping kids from getting hooked on tobacco was, in part, why the state participated in the national settlement with big tobacco in the first place. The settlement created money for anti-smoking campaigns. . .
Lawmakers have attacked the $22 million recommended by Holden for smoking prevention. Some senators even want the state to sell part of its right to future tobacco payments in order to get a lump sum now. If it did, the money could then be used for anything and not necessarily smoking prevention.
These moves are foolish. Twenty-seven percent of Missouri adults smoke. The figure is higher -- 33 percent -- for Missouri youths. The annual health-care costs related to tobacco use are $1.5 billion. The only way to get costs down is to get the smoking rate down.
If lawmakers rob the tobacco money to fund other programs, they should raise Missouri's 17-cent cigarette excise tax -- one of the lowest in the nation -- to replace the money.
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