Shrinking slice of the fund goes to prevention, cessation

Source: Chicago Tribune
Date: 2010-01-29
Author: Dan Simmons, Tribune Reporter,

If you smoke and itch to quit, don\'t look to the state for help.
Despite an annual infusion of about $300 million from the
landmark tobacco settlement, Illinois continues to spend less
than most others on programs designed to prevent people from
lighting up, according to a national ranking.

Illinois finished 41st out of the 50 states in the percentage of
settlement money funneled into prevention and stop-smoking
programs during the current fiscal year, the nonprofit Campaign
for Tobacco-Free Kids recently reported. Tennessee was at the
bottom, North Dakota at the top.

The Land of Lincoln\'s lowly status was lamented by public health
officials and some politicians, who describe a lost opportunity
to use the pot of money to help cut the smoking rate.

"That money was supposed to help take care of the problems the
industry had caused in all the states," said Kathy Drea, vice
president of advocacy for the American Lung Association in
Illinois.