Stop redirecting tobacco money
The tobacco industry spends more than $533 million a year marketing its products to Pennsylvanians. Yet, our lawmakers are proposing to cut the tobacco prevention and cessation budget by 50 percent – to $16.1 million.
Thrown into this spittoon is the fact that the tobacco industry gets a warm welcome from some of Pennsylvania’s legislators. According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, in 2008 the tobacco industry contributed $415,950 to Pennsylvania candidates and committees – 81 percent of those takers were Republicans. It has to make you wonder.
What makes the prevention and cessation budget cut to $16.1 million so difficult to accept is that the state receives around $700 million a year from the tobacco industry’s Master Settlement Agreement for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. What is the Legislature doing with the other $684 million?
No one can argue with the proof – tobacco control programs play a crucial role in the prevention of many chronic diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other respiratory illnesses. We also know that comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation programs prevent children from starting to smoke, help adults quit and educates the public and lawmakers about the dangers and costs of tobacco.
Cutting the prevention and cessation budget means more people will get sick and die, and more young people will start to smoke. Policy makers need to continue to invest in programs to protect our children from the tobacco companies’ efforts to addict them, and give would-be quitters a fighting chance to be smoke-free. That’s what the MSA is there for – to help combat the horrendous costs of tobacco. Stop redirecting the MSA funds. Save Pennsylvania lives.
Lean Camara
Regional Tobacco
Control Director
Health Promotion Council
Philadelphia
Tags: tobacco stops
