WASTE BUSTERS: Missouri severely underfunds anti-smoking efforts, report finds
It’s been more than 20 years since a landmark settlement between state attorneys general and big tobacco companies.
Since the 1998 settlement, the tobacco industry has paid more than $126 billion in annual payments to various state governments, including a total of $2,728,830,223 to the state of Missouri as of July 2018.
Year Payment to Missouri 2001 $387,767,428 2002 $159,620,052 2003 $131,853,709 2004 $142,981,164 2005 $145,006,156 2006 $132,670,346 2007 $138,071,970 2008 $153,277,453 2009 $168,066,389 2010 $140,318,927 2011 $132,631,552 2012 $135,246,224 2013 $135,166,246 2014 $41,629,101 2015 $132,261,643 2016 $123,372,400 2017 $190,832,700 2018 $138,056,763 TOTAL
$2,728,830,223
The only money Missouri spends to curb tobacco use is the $48,500 which is matched by the CDC to fund the Missouri Tobacco Quit Line.
Missouri spends the least of all the states that spend money to prevent smoking, according to a recent report published by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Heart Association and a half-dozen other organizations. Connecticut, West Virginia and Tennessee spend nothing on tobacco prevention.
The amount Missouri contributes to reduce tobacco use represents 0.01 percent of the CDC’s recommendation for the state.
“It really does nothing to address prevention,” said Joy Sweeney, executive director of the Council for Drug-Free Youth. “$48,000 is a drop in the bucket.”
Sweeney sits on the board of Tobacco Free Missouri and says that organization is working to lobby the state legislature to bring Missouri tobacco prevention spending up to 1 percent of the CDC suggestion.
“It almost appears the state is an advocate or a lobby for the tobacco industry at the expense of public health,” said Sweeney. “They’re not recognizing that the cost on the other side is also being paid for by taxpayers.”
ABC 17 News contacted the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for a comment on this story but did not immediately get a reply.
