The five states are: New York, $1.60 increase to $4.35 per pack; Hawai'i, 40 cents to $3 per pack; New Mexico, 75 cents to $1.66 per pack; South Carolina, 50 cents to 57 cents per pack; and Utah, $1 to $1.70 per pack. On May 1, Washington increased its cigarette tax by $1 to $3.025 per pack.

New York's increase will give it the highest state cigarette tax at $4.35 per pack, while South Carolina's increase - its first since 1977 - means it will no longer have the lowest cigarette tax in the nation.  Missouri will now have the lowest cigarette tax at just 17 cents a pack.  After the July 1 increases, the average state cigarette tax will be $1.45 per pack, while the federal government levies an additional $1.01 per pack.

Also taking effect this week, a new federal law will curb tobacco tax evasion and curtail sales of low-cost cigarettes and other tobacco products over the Internet and through the mail.  As required by the law, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, the U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday will institute a ban on mailing tobacco products (with very minor exceptions).  The law also requires Internet tobacco sellers to pay all applicable taxes and affix tax stamps before delivery to any customer; requires that age and identification of purchasers be checked at both purchase and delivery; and provides government officials with new tools to crack down on tobacco tax evasion.

"These actions to increase tobacco taxes and prevent tax evasion are a huge victory for the nation's health that will save many lives and billions of dollars in tobacco-related health care costs," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.  "Higher tobacco taxes continue to be a win-win-win for the states - a health win that reduces smoking and saves lives, a revenue win that helps balance budgets and fund critical programs, and a political win that is popular with voters.  We applaud the state and federal officials who have supported these important measures."

The evidence is clear that increasing the cigarette tax is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among kids.  Scientific studies show that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking rates by about 6.5 percent and overall cigarette consumption by about four percent.  The combined effect of the state cigarette tax increases approved so far this year will be to:

• Prevent more than 262,000 kids from starting to smoke;
• Spur more than 140,000 adult smokers to quit;
• Prevent more than 120,000 smoking-caused deaths;
• Produce more than $5.9 billion in long-term health care savings;
• Raise more than $561 million in annual revenue.

States with the lowest cigarette tax rates are Missouri (17 cents per pack), Virginia (30 cents), Louisiana (36 cents), Georgia (37 cents) and Alabama (42.5 cents).

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids urges all states to increase tobacco taxes as a proven way to reduce smoking and other tobacco use, save lives and raise revenue.  The Campaign also urges states to use more of their tobacco tax and tobacco settlement revenues to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs at levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion a year in health care costs.  Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers - one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.

More information on tobacco taxes, including tax rates in each state: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/prices/

More information on the PACT Act: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/internet/

Clarkson has not responded to letters and online fan requests urging her to withdraw tobacco industry sponsorship of the concert. The Indonesian National Commission on Child Protection, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) and the U.S.-based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids have all urged Clarkson to withdraw tobacco sponsorship of the concert.

The concert is being sponsored and heavily promoted by the tobacco company PT Djarum under the name of its cigarette brand LA Lights. Television, billboard and online ads for the concert feature Clarkson's image and the LA Lights logo and even carry health warnings, making clear they are cigarette ads (for an ad image, go to www.tobaccofreekids.org/kellyclarkson).

"If Kelly Clarkson goes ahead with this concert, she is choosing to be a spokesperson for the tobacco industry and helping them to market cigarettes to children," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "If she rejects tobacco industry sponsorship, she can send a powerful message to children in Indonesia and around the world that they, too, should reject the tobacco industry's deadly products and marketing."

The tobacco industry has long used sponsorship of music concerts popular with young people to promote its products and tobacco use among youth. In the United States, a new federal law bans tobacco companies from engaging in brand name sponsorships of entertainment and sports events. Other countries have enacted similar bans.

However, in Indonesia and other developing countries, tobacco companies continue to sponsor concerts by famous musicians, a practice that health advocates have condemned as a means to market cigarettes to children and to circumvent restrictions on more traditional tobacco advertising. Indonesia is one of the few countries that has yet to ratify the international tobacco control treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires countries to ban all tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorships.

In an April 8 letter, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids wrote, "We call on you to put the health of Indonesians first and require the withdrawal of PT Djarum's LA Lights sponsorship of this concert and any other tobacco sponsorship in your upcoming concert series in Asia. We also urge you to publicly announce that you will no longer allow PT Djarum or any other tobacco company to sponsor your concerts or promote their products through events in which you are participating."

A letter from SEATCA stated, "It is not too late to rectify the situation. We urge you to halt the tobacco sponsorship of your concert in Indonesia and pull back all promotional materials for your concert that carries the L.A. Lights brand. It is important that you and your music are not associated with cigarettes and ill health."

Clarkson's fans around the world, including Indonesia, have also expressed their disapproval of the tobacco sponsorship. Fans have posted hundreds of messages on Clarkson's Facebook fan page urging her to renounce the sponsorship and sent more than 1,300 e-mails to Clarkson's management.

Clarkson can look to singing star Alicia Keys as an example of how to effectively stop the tobacco industry from using internationally renowned artists as a marketing tool. In July 2008, Keys' Jakarta concert was initially sponsored by "A Mild" cigarettes, which is produced by Philip Morris International and its Indonesian subsidiary Sampoerna. When this was brought to her attention, Keys withdrew tobacco sponsorship of the concert and had related advertising removed.

About 35 percent of the Indonesian population smokes, and tobacco use kills more than 200,000 Indonesians each year. An estimated 78 percent of Indonesian smokers started before the age of 19.

The letters to Kelly Clarkson can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org/kellyclarkson.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leading force in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences in the United States and around the world. The Campaign advocates for proven policies that prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

President  Obama continued his strong leadership in the fight against tobacco use today when he signed the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT), which will curb tax evasion and curtail the growing sales of low-cost cigarettes and other tobacco products over the Internet and through the mail.

Enactment of this legislation is a milestone in the fight to keep kids from smoking and prevent tax evasion that costs taxpayers billions each year. Internet sales of tobacco products are a serious and growing problem that illegally keeps prices down and smoking levels up. Such sales also make it easier and cheaper for kids to buy cigarettes and facilitate tax evasion. Many vendors that sell cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products over the Internet or through other mail-order sales do not pay applicable tobacco taxes and do not have sufficient safeguards to prevent sales to children, such as effective policies to verify a purchaser's age.

Both houses of Congress approved the legislation with wide, bipartisan support earlier this month. We applaud Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), the chief House sponsor, and Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), the Senate sponsor, for their leadership and persistence in pursuing this legislation and winning its approval.

We thank President Obama for continuing to display strong and consistent leadership in the fight against tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.  The President has also signed legislation increasing the federal cigarette tax to fund expansion of children's health insurance and the landmark law giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco products and marketing. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 already has led to restrictions on tobacco marketing and sales to kids.

The newly enacted PACT Act will:

• Require Internet sellers to pay all federal, state, local or Tribal tobacco taxes and affix tax stamps before delivery to any customer;
• Mandate that the age and identification of purchasers be checked at purchase and at delivery;
• Require Internet vendors to comply with state and local laws as if they were located in the same state as their customers;
• Provide federal and state enforcement officials with new tools to block delivery of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products that evade federal or state laws; and
• Ban the delivery of tobacco products through the U.S. mail.

Summary of the PACT Act: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0361.pdf.

More on Internet tobacco sales: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/internet/.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

This legislation will help combat online cigarette sales that have robbed hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues from the states and that undermine state laws that prevent youth access to tobacco products.  

"Passage of the PACT Act would be a huge victory for American tax payers, American small business owners and America's youth," said Scott Ramminger, AWMA president and CEO and coalition spokesperson. "This bill will ensure that states, like New York, can collect tax revenue and that purchasers of tobacco products abide by already enacted state and federal laws."

Numerous stakeholders support the PACT Act, which was passed in the House of Representatives last May. S. 1147 closes gaps in current federal laws regulating "remote" or "delivery" sales of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.

"In a recent study we found that illegal cigarette sales cost states $5 billion per year, and that with online sales there is almost no age verification at the time of purchase," continued Ramminger.

"We hope that the Senate will act swiftly to pass this common sense legislation so that we can put an end to the illegal sale of tobacco products," concluded Ramminger.

Read the full resolution text at: http://www.nysac.org/Legislative_Action_Center/PACT_Reso2010.php.

SOURCE Coalition to Stop Contraband Tobacco

New York State has renewed its membership to the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC), a public health coalition of national organizations and state health agencies that sponsors the EX^® campaign. The State Health Department's Tobacco Control Program hopes to reduce the number of adult smokers by linking New Yorkers with the EX campaign's online and informational resources, as well as the New York State Smokers' Quitline.

"New York continues to take significant steps to help reduce state smoking rates," Commissioner Daines said. "We are pleased to be one of a number of organizations in several states and at the national level in this timely effort to focus on reducing smoking rates in New York and across the country. The EX program augments our own efforts to give New Yorkers the tools they need to re-learn their life without cigarettes and will ultimately extend and save lives. New York is proud to have been a part of this groundbreaking initiative since it began in 2008."

With the latest research estimating that nearly 6 million people will lose their lives to tobacco next year, the NATC has created a campaign that will provide direct assistance to help the 46 million Americans who smoke--including 2.5 million New Yorkers--to finally quit.

EX assists smokers in changing the way they feel about the process of quitting, guiding them to valuable resources, such as the New York State Smokers Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or online community at www.BecomeAnEX.org. Such tools help provide the accountability and support needed for a successful quit attempt.

This new public education effort will encourage the 16.8 percent of New York adults who smoke to approach quitting smoking as "re-learning life without cigarettes." EX provides smokers with information that can help them prepare for and guide a quit attempt by:

• "Re-learning" their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation;
• "Re-learning" their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and
• "Re-learning" their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting.

"We are thrilled to have New York join the national effort to help smokers quit," said Cheryl G. Healton, Dr.PH., president and CEO of Legacy. "Most smokers underestimate how powerful tobacco addiction can be. The approach provided by EX changes that equation by showing them how they can quit--namely by combining coaching, pharmacotherapy and social support, so that smokers have the support they need at the times when they're most likely to crave a cigarette and smoke."

Nationally, EX will continue to educate smokers through advertisements on television, radio and online and through events. Because social support is so important, EX offers a state-of-the-art Web site (www.BecomeAnEX.org) as a convening point for smokers who want to quit and share their successes and challenges in the difficult quit process. Since March 2008, when the national program debuted, 1.4 million people have visited the site, and more than 215,000 smokers have joined the online community, forming customized support groups.

"Ending tobacco use is one of our public health priorities, even during the State's fiscal crisis," Commissioner Daines said. "Our smoking rates are at the lowest ever - 16.8 percent for adults and 14.7 percent for teenagers. I support Governor Paterson's proposal to raise the cigarette tax by $1 this year, which will make New York's cigarette tax the highest in the nation. Raising the price of tobacco has consistently helped reduce the number of smokers."

To learn more, visit www.BecomeAnEX.org  and the State Health Department's Web site at www.nyhealth.gov/prevention/tobacco_control/

SOURCE Legacy

The request for the high court to consider the case stems from a landmark ruling in 2006 in which the cigarette manufacturers were found guilty of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).  In that ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler found that major cigarette manufacturers had violated civil racketeering laws, defrauded the American people by lying for decades about the health risks of smoking and aggressively marketed their deadly products to children.

However, Judge Kessler ruled that the penalties she could impose on the tobacco companies were limited by a controversial appeals court ruling that restricted the remedies she could impose under the civil RICO law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld Judge Kessler's ruling on May 22, 2009.  The six public health groups are now asking the Supreme Court to overturn that part of the decision that restricted the penalties she could order.

The petition was filed by the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network and the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund (a 501(c)4 affiliate of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids). The groups are intervenors in the case making them formal parties to the lawsuit.

The public health groups are represented by Meyer, Glitzenstein & Crystal of Washington, D.C. and by G. Robert Blakey, William J. and Dorothy O'Neill Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame Law School.

The public health intervenors' petition can be found at: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/pressoffice/cert_petition_02192010.pdf

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Saint Francis Hospital's annual Heart Festival includes free health information, physician lectures, a healthy cooking demonstration, and free health screenings. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the hospital, with the keynote speaker beginning discussion promptly at 1 p.m.

Patrick Reynolds lost his father, R.J. Reynolds, Jr., his oldest brother R.J. Reynolds III, his aunt and other family members due to cigarette-induced emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer.  Concerned about the mounting health evidence against tobacco, he made the decision to speak out against the industry his family helped build.  From family tragedy, a passionate advocate emerged.

Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said of him, "Patrick Reynolds is one of the nation's most influential advocates of a smoke-free America.  His testimony is invaluable to our society."  Patrick first spoke out publicly at a Congressional hearing in favor of a ban on all cigarette advertising in 1986.  Reynolds' advocacy work, motivational talks to youth and appearances in the press have made him a well-known and respected champion of a smoke-free society.  He has made numerous television appearances, including the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Larry King, ABC's Nightline, The Phil Donahue Show, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, and numerous other national and international television and radio shows.

In March 2009, Reynolds met in Washington, DC with Rep. Henry Waxman, a co-sponsor of the Congressional bill for FDA regulation of tobacco, to offer his support.  The bill passed both Houses, and President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law on June 22, 2009.

FACTS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SMOKING

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease:

• Cigarettes cause more deaths than cocaine, auto accidents, AIDS, alcohol, heroin, fire, suicide and homicide combined (1)
• Smokers die an average of 15 years earlier than nonsmokers
• Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer which kills more Americans every year than breast, colon and prostate cancer combined (2)
• In 2010, lung cancer will kill more than 165,000 Americans (2)
• In 2020, tobacco use will kill 6 million people from cancer, heart disease, emphysema and a range of other ills (3)

Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States:

• Accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths
• Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders including fatty buildups in arteries, several types of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problems)
• Atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty substances in the arteries) is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking
• Many studies detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack. (4)

The societal costs of smoking include:

• Over 1200 lives lost each day in the U.S.
• Over 400,000 lives lost every year in the U.S.
• $50 billion annually in lost productivity and increased health care costs
• Worldwide, the toll exacted by tobacco use is one in every ten deaths
• Of the world's 1.2 billion smokers, the World Health Organization estimates that 500 million of them will die because of smoking (5)

In most cases, the decision to smoke or start smoking is not made by adults:

• 60% of smokers start by the age of 14
• 90% of smokers are firmly addicted before reaching age 19.
• Tobacco companies have spent over $4 billion annually on advertising, or $15 annually for every man, woman, and child in the country(6)

Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop alerted the nation that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. (6)

(1)  Foundation for a Smokefree America, www.tobaccofree.org/theproblem.htm

(2)  Lung Cancer Alliance, www.lungcanceralliance.org/facing/facts.html

(3)  American Cancer Society Study, Tobacco Atlas, August 25, 2009

(4)  American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4545

Foundation for a Smokefree America, www.tobaccofree.org/theproblem.htm

(5)  ibid.

(6)  ibid.

Media Contact: Margo Schafer, 847-316-4000.

SOURCE Saint Francis Hospital

The Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or NRT, kits were paid for by funding from a legal settlement with the tobacco industry. No taxpayer funds were used.

"While many people use the start of a new year to make a new attempt at quitting tobacco, we know that quitting isn't easy. It takes practice and support," said Secretary of Health Everette James. "We hope that by providing free Nicotine Replacement Therapy and one-on-one support offered through our Quitline, more individuals will stay motivated to become tobacco-free."

Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, as well as a significant contributor to health care costs. Research by the federal Centers for Disease Control found nearly one of every five deaths nationwide is related to smoking - a staggering 440,000 preventable deaths each year.

The NRT kit promotion is in conjunction with Determined to Quit week, Jan. 24 - 30, as proclaimed by Governor Edward G. Rendell. The week is intended to raise awareness about the many resources available to help residents quit smoking.

Individuals interested in receiving a free NRT kit must call the PA Free Quitline. Quit coaches will ask whether callers have any medical conditions that would rule out the safe use of nicotine patches.  The kit includes a four-week supply of nicotine patches as well as other information to help make the quit attempt successful.  Those who qualify must be willing to enroll in the Quitline coaching program and set an actual quit date.

The PA Free Quitline is administered by Free and Clear, a national leader in the development, evaluation and delivery of evidence-based tobacco cessation programs. There is no cost for the phone support, which can range from three to five coaching sessions.

Additional information and support is offered through www.determinedtoquit.com.  The Web site provides guidance in developing a quit plan, a quit companion and calculator, and video blogs of Pennsylvanians sharing their own stories about quitting tobacco.  Those quitting can also engage family and friends.

Last year, as part of Determined To Quit Week, the Department of Health provided more than 2,200 free NRT kits to Quitline callers. This is the NRT program's second year.

For more information about the state's cessation resources, call the PA Free Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Media contact: Stacy Kriedeman, 717-787-1783. SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

As Congress negotiates a final health care reform bill, lawmakers should seize this unprecedented opportunity to invest in proven measures that prevent costly diseases from occurring in the first place, which will improve health and reduce health care costs. These include measures to prevent and reduce tobacco use, which remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing the nation $96 billion in health care expenditures annually.

The legislation now being crafted by House and Senate negotiators contains essential disease prevention programs that will improve health and reduce costs. These include: A requirement that Medicaid cover preventive services with demonstrated effectiveness, including treatment to help smokers quit, and creation of a prevention trust fund to finance proven, community-based prevention programs aimed at problems such as tobacco use and obesity.

Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation treatment: The final health care reform legislation should require comprehensive coverage of smoking cessation treatment, including medication and counseling with no cost-sharing requirements, for all Medicaid recipients, as the House-passed legislation would. The Senate bill would require such coverage only for pregnant women receiving Medicaid.

Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation treatment is critical as lower-income Americans have higher rates of smoking than the general population, and health care reform is expected to expand Medicaid coverage to millions of new beneficiaries. In 2007, 33 percent of adult enrollees in Medicaid smoked, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The overall rate of smoking among adults in 2008 was 20.6 percent. Medicaid expenditures attributable to smoking total $22 billion annually, representing 11 percent of all Medicaid expenditures, according to the CDC.

Remarkable results recently reported by Massachusetts underscore the benefits of providing Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation treatment. The state found that smoking rates among beneficiaries in its MassHealth program dropped by 26 percent in the first two and a half years after it began providing coverage and promoting use of smoking cessation services in 2006. Costly medical procedures also were reduced substantially. Among the group that enrolled in the smoking cessation program, there were 38 percent fewer hospitalizations for heart attacks and 17 percent fewer emergency-room visits for asthma symptoms in the first year. There were 17 percent fewer claims for maternal birth complications since the benefit was implemented.

Massachusetts' results are early indicators of how much would be gained with a sustained national effort to reduce smoking among Medicaid beneficiaries. Yet, according to the CDC, only six states in 2007 provided coverage of all tobacco-dependence treatments (FDA-approved medications and counseling) to help smokers quit. Though many states are facing severe budget constraints, tobacco prevention and cessation will result in long-term savings for federal and state governments by reducing tobacco-related diseases and health care costs.

Prevention funds: Both the House and Senate bills also would establish a fund to finance proven community-based prevention programs targeting public health problems such as tobacco use and obesity. Americans spend more than $2 trillion a year to treat disease and manage illnesses, and almost three quarters of that money is spent on caring for people whose illnesses we know how to prevent. For example, smoking causes one in five deaths from heart disease, nearly one-third of all cancer deaths and nine in 10 deaths from lung cancer. The lifetime health care costs for individuals who smoke are $17,500 higher than they are for non-smokers.

The Trust for America's Health reviewed prevention programs that already have been tried and found that an investment of $10 per person, per year in proven initiatives to prevent smoking, promote physical activity and improve nutrition could save more than $16 billion a year within five years. That's a return of $5.60 for every dollar invested. While the Congressional Budget Office has not estimated short-term savings from prevention in the health reform bills, it has said that "certain types of preventive services have been found to yield substantial net savings, largely because the initial costs are low and the long-term benefits are large."

The final legislation should adopt the higher 5-year public health and prevention funding level in the House bill and the ongoing funding stream found in the Senate bill. These funds would help finance community-based prevention activities and media campaigns that promote disease prevention. Effective prevention will mean fewer premature deaths, less disease and more cost-effective health care spending.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Vermont currently spends $5.9 million a year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which is 57.1 percent of the $10.4 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last year, Vermont ranked 7th, spending $6.1 million on tobacco prevention.

Other key findings for Vermont include:

• Vermont this year will collect $86 million from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 6.9 percent of it on tobacco prevention programs.
• The tobacco companies spend $27.4 million a year to market their products in Vermont. This is 5 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.

The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"Vermont has made a solid commitment and again is one of the top 10 states when it comes to protecting kids from tobacco," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "But Vermont still spends just over half of what the CDC recommends. To continue reducing tobacco use, it is critical that Vermont's leaders build on their commitment and increase funding for tobacco prevention programs. Even in these difficult budget times, tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."

In Vermont, 18.2 percent of high school students smoke, and 600 more kids become regular smokers every year. Each year, tobacco claims 800 lives and costs the state $233 million in health care bills.

Eleven years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, the new report finds that the states this year are collecting record amounts of revenue from the tobacco industry, but are spending less of it on tobacco prevention. Key national findings of the report include:

• The states this year will collect $25.1 billion from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.3 percent of it - $567.5 million - on tobacco prevention programs. It would take less than 15 percent of their tobacco revenue to fund tobacco prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.
• In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by more than 15 percent, or $103.4 million.
• Only one state - North Dakota - currently funds a tobacco prevention program at the CDC-recommended level.
• Only nine other states fund prevention programs at even half the CDC-recommended amount, while 31 states and DC are providing less than a quarter of the recommended funding.

The report warns that the nation's progress in reducing smoking is at risk unless states increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The United States has significantly reduced smoking among both youth and adults, but the CDC's most recent survey showed that smoking declines among adults have stalled. Currently 20 percent of high school students and 20.6 percent of adults smoke.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers - one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

After the latest cuts, New York this year has budgeted a total of $57 million for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, including $55.2 million in state funds and the rest in a federal grant. This amounts to just 22.4 percent of the $254.3 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last year, New York spent $81.9 million, or 32.2 percent of CDC-recommended levels, and ranked 19th. In previous years, New York has ranked as high as 5th in the nation.

Other key findings for New York include:

• In the past year, New York has cut state funding for its tobacco prevention program by 31 percent, from $80.4 to $55.2. This $25.2 million cut is the largest of any state. Governor David Paterson proposed and the Legislature enacted the latest round of cuts just last week.
• New York this year will collect $2.13 billion from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.6 percent of it on tobacco prevention programs.
• The tobacco companies spend $429.6 million a year to market their products in New York. This is more than 7 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.

The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

New York has been a national leader in fighting tobacco use with a well-funded Tobacco Control Program, a strong smoke-free workplace law and a high cigarette tax of $2.75 per pack. As a result, New York has reduced its adult smoking rate to 16.8 percent and its high school smoking rate to 13.8 percent, both well below the national rates of 20.6 percent and 20 percent. However, the huge cut in funding for tobacco prevention programs has put the state's progress at risk.

"New York has led the nation in fighting tobacco use, but the state this year has taken a big step backward and decimated funding for tobacco prevention," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Unless Governor Patterson and the Legislature act quickly to restore funding, New York will pay a high price in lives and dollars. Even in these difficult budget times, tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."

Despite the state's progress, 20,900 New York kids become regular smokers every year. Each year in New York, tobacco claims 25,400 lives and costs the state $8.2 billion in health care bills.

Eleven years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, the new report finds that the states this year are collecting record amounts of revenue from the tobacco industry, but are spending less of it on tobacco prevention. Key national findings of the report include:

• The states this year will collect $25.1 billion from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.3 percent of it - $567.5 million - on tobacco prevention programs. It would take less than 15 percent of their tobacco revenue to fund tobacco prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.
• In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by more than 15 percent, or $103.4 million.
• Only one state - North Dakota - currently funds a tobacco prevention program at the CDC-recommended level.
• Only nine other states fund prevention programs at even half the CDC-recommended amount, while 31 states and DC are providing less than a quarter of the recommended funding.

The report warns that the nation's progress in reducing smoking is at risk unless states increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The United States has significantly reduced smoking among both youth and adults, but the CDC's most recent survey showed that smoking declines among adults have stalled.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers - one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Governor David Paterson's decision to cut an additional $10 million out of the funding for New York state's effective and successful tobacco prevention program is shortsighted and in the long run will cost lives and money. It is a genuinely penny wise and pound foolish decision. New York state's tobacco prevention program has had dramatic success dropping smoking rates for both kids and adults well below the national average. It is saving lives and saving New York's taxpayers money.

Just six years ago in 2003, New York's adult smoking rate stood at 21.6 percent, right at the national average. But the state wisely invested in an evidence-based tobacco prevention and cessation program, increased its tobacco tax, and passed a strong smoke-free law. The result of that prudent investment has never been more evident than two weeks ago when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the national adult smoking rate had gone up for the first time in several years to 20.6 percent. At the same time, New York state smoking rates for adults dropped to 16.8 percent, well below the national rate, while smoking rates for kids in New York state dropped to an astonishing 13.8 percent, also well below the national rate. New York state's exemplary work in bringing down smoking rates could be undone in a hurry if Governor Paterson's budget ax is allowed to fall.

Last year, the budget for tobacco prevention in New York state was cut by $17 million dollars and that was bad enough. Now the Governor is proposing an additional $10 million dollar cut and there is no guarantee that further cuts are not just around the corner. If Governor Paterson's plan is implemented, it will almost certainly decimate one of the most successful programs the State of New York maintains.

While these are indeed tough budget times, it makes no sense to cut a program that is saving lives and healthcare dollars and that has already been severely cut. It does make sense to spend just a small fraction of the more than $2 billion New York collects in tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes to fund this vital program.

Even with the success of New York state's tobacco prevention efforts, there is still an uphill battle ongoing to drive down smoking related costs in the state. The sad reality is that 25,400 New Yorkers die annually from smoking- related disease, and more than 20,000 New York kids become regular smokers each year.. And healthcare costs associated with tobacco use in New York state amount to a staggering $8.17 billion annually.

Instead of cutting New York state's budget for tobacco prevention, Governor Paterson should do everything in his power to restore the cuts already made and hold out New York's tobacco prevention efforts as an outstanding example of a government program that works. If he chooses to hold to his current plan, he deserves all the opprobrium he will almost certainly get from legislators, media, and the citizens of the State of New York.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Naugle was finally able to stop smoking in 1993 when the nicotine patch became available, after 25 years of heavy smoking. "The jury saw her condition. We think that they felt it. She needed to rest for five minutes to catch her breath after making the 7 step walk to the witness stand." said Attorney Todd Falzone, who along with Kelley and attorney Todd McPharlin, represented Naugle in the three-week trial. "Cindy spends every minute of every day as if she were drowning," said Kelley.

Ms. Naugle's lawsuit, one of the cases that have come to be known as the Engle Progeny cases, stems from the 2000 verdict in the Engle v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co class action lawsuit. In 2006 the Florida Supreme Court de-certified the class allowing the way for individual plaintiffs, damaged by "Big Tobacco's" conduct to file individual lawsuits. Today's verdict is by far the largest verdict to date in those cases.

Kelley went on to say: "The cigarette companies managed to hide the truth about their product for a long time, but the truth is out now. And when the jury finally hears the truth about what these companies knew and when they knew it, they almost always side with the addicted smokers, most of whom started smoking as teenagers before there were any warning labels on cigarette packs." Kelley predicts the industry is in for a long series of losses because "most Americans are fed-up with corporate fraud and misconduct."

The former Mayor was with his sister throughout the long trial, assisting with her oxygen needs and helping her get in and out of the courtroom.

Attorneys from Kelley/Uustal representing Ms. Naugle included: Robert W. Kelley, Todd R. Falzone, and Todd R. McPharlin.

SOURCE Kelley / Uustal