TOBACCO MONEY BEING SPENT EVERY WHICH WAY

A report by the National Conference of State Legislatures indicates most states are off to a dismal start in spending the $206 billion they will get from the nation's landmark tobacco settlement of 1998.

The attorneys general who negotiated the settlement expected the money to be used to compensate the states for years of smoking-related health expenses and to fight the spread of smoking and prevent tobacco addition, but the settlement left it to the states to decide how their shares of the money would be spent.

Now, the National Conference of State Legislatures, which analyzed the states' plans for spending the money, tells us only about 5 percent of the money received thus far for fiscal years 2000 through 2002 is going to smoking prevention.

More than half of the money is being used in ways unrelated to smoking, the study found. Several states are tapping their tobacco settlement payments to make up shortfalls in their state budgets and bolster programs that have nothing to do with tobacco. For examples, Tennessee will use its $557 million to meet budget shortfalls in 2002, and North Dakota is using 45 percent to pay for debt service on bonds financing a water allocation and flood project.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that at least 20 percent of the $206 billion would have to go into prevention programs for the states to effectively cut future tobacco-related health expenses.

If that is to happen, somewhere along the line the states are going to have to change their ways and start using the money for what all involved in the settlement intended, not as a windfall to spend as they please or try to balance budgets because of their overspending.