Secure Tobacco Settlement Funds for Tobacco Prevention

from "American Lung Association of California Sets Public Policy Priorities", Public Policy Update, Breathe Easy news magazine, Spring/Summer 2001

California receives $1 billion each year from the federal settlement with tobacco companies, with half allocated to the state and half divided among California counties and cities that filed their own suits. The American Lung Association of California will continue to encourage the Governor to spend a portion of those funds on efforts to further reduce tobacco consumption and enhance California’s landmark antismoking campaign.

The association is working with other health groups to wage a campaign urging Governor Gray Davis and the Legislature to allocate 20 percent of the state’s tobacco settlement funds for tobacco prevention and control. The campaign is focused on the legislative budget process and includes district meetings with legislators, media advocacy activities and letter-writing drives through the American Lung Association of California’s e-Advocacy Network, an online advocacy group.

These funds are needed to counter the tobacco industry’s aggressive efforts to market their product to children and young adults, and to reduce the adult smoking rate, which has languished at about 18 percent for the last several years. Since the 1998 settlement, the tobacco industry is spending more to reach young adults, and it’s working. There has been a 22 percent increase in smoking in the 18 to 24 age group.