Anti-smoking efforts in danger

Without state aid, the state tobacco prevention program will disappear, officials say.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

AUSTINTOWN — Mahoning County health officials want the state to set aside 15 percent of the money Ohio receives from future tobacco Master Settlement Agreement payments to be used for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

In a letter to state legislators and Gov. Ted Strickland, the board urged they reconsider the current budget plan, which includes “securitizing,” or selling to the highest bidder for a one-time windfall, future revenue from the Master Settlement Agreement.

At present, Ohio’s share of revenue from the agreement goes into the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation. Under the agreement, tobacco companies agreed to compensate state governments for smoking-related medical costs, and to help reduce smoking in the United States.

Cessation programs in 3 counties

For the last five years, Mahoning County has received about $230,000 a year to develop tobacco prevention and cessation programs in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Since the tobacco prevention foundation’s inception, adult tobacco use in Ohio has declined by 20 percent, and the rate among high school youths has dropped 40 percent, said Matthew Stefanak, Mahoning County health commissioner.

Studies, however, have shown that when tobacco prevention and cessation programs are withdrawn, tobacco use will rise, Stefanak said.

In its letter, the board said that without future payments from the master settlement agreement, the state’s tobacco prevention foundation would cease to exist in eight to 10 years.

In addition, the governor’s budget, which has already passed in the state House of Representatives, would also eliminate the $568 million in past master settlement agreement payments that has already been diverted for other purposes by the Ohio Legislature, Stefanak said.

In other action at

Thursday’s board meeting, Stefanak said the department has received about 22 complaints about illegal tobacco use in 15 establishments since Ohio’s indoor workplace smoking ban took effect earlier in the month.

He said the complaints are still in the investigation stage, and no letters of warning or citations have been issued.

alcorn@vindy.com