Attorney General Nixon decries use of tobacco settlement money

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is expected to receive its regular payment from a national settlement with big tobacco companies today. The roughly $125 million will push the state past the $1 billion mark, with payments dating back to 2001.

Attorney General Jay Nixon is using that benchmark payment to express his disappointment that the state has not dedicated serious amounts of money to thwarting smoking.

The settlement, which was intended to help cover governments' health-care costs from people made sick by tobacco use.

Missouri has not dedicated that money to efforts to get people to quit smoking -- or to keep children from starting the habit. Nixon said other states that have used their tobacco money to reduce smoking are already reaping the benefits, and Missouri will be paying for it down the line in higher health costs for smokers.

"It's just kind of stunning that not one dollar of this money has been used to reduce smoking in Missouri," Nixon said.

A recent state audit found that about $1.8 million of $965 million in previously received tobacco settlement money has gone to battling tobacco use. Much of the tobacco money has gone to keep Missouri's budget balanced.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services' anti-tobacco work is paid for by federal grants.

Nixon said using the tobacco settlement money to shore up the budget rather than on programs to cut youth smoking "is a short-term excuse for not getting at the long-term solution."

Still, Nixon said he opposes for several reasons a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise tobacco taxes, dedicating much of the new money to health care providers and programs and a smaller share to anti-tobacco efforts. Backers hope the higher tax alone will deter youth from smoking. Nixon questioned whether the money raised would end up where supporters intend.

"It's just really hard to have confidence in the Legislature and various administrations who have had a billion dollars run through their fingers already and not spent a penny on smoking cessation," he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said Missouri should spend at least $33 million a year for a comprehensive anti-tobacco program.

A 2005 state health survey found 12.7 percent of middle school students and 30.7 percent of high school students had used tobacco in the past month. The tobacco use rate among adults was 26.4 percent, the health department said.

Nixon said it's emblematic of the problem that Missouri's youth smoking rate is higher than its adult rate.

"Working with people to get them to quit smoking clearly saves health care dollars and improves the quality of life for everybody," he said.

The state health department estimated that nearly 10,000 Missourians die from tobacco-related illness each year, and that the state spends nearly $2 billion annually to treat smoking-related illness.

Gov. Matt Blunt proposed spending $1 million of the settlement on smoking cessation programs in the next budget year, which starts July 1. The House also recommended that spending, but the Senate version of the budget, at least thus far, cut it.

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On the Net:

Attorney General: http://www.ago.mo.gov

Health Department Tobacco Information: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/SmokingAndTobacco