According to a recently revealed nationwide report, Kansas State is ranked 39th in the list of states’ spending on various anti-smoking programs.

Christine G. Pickering, senior manager of National Policy for American Heart Foundation admitted that States such as Kansas do invest in smoking prevention programs, but such funding is far smaller than the necessary level to keep the comprehensive network of anti-smoking programs working efficiently.

She added that the situation is very sad, as the less state spends, the inefficient the programs are and they are not able to deter teenagers from taking up smoking or helping experienced smokers give up.

In 2009 fiscal year, Kansas Budget would get nearly $170 million from the tobacco industry (tobacco excise taxes and settlement payments), however, it would spend only $2.3 million or 1.3 percent of the collected revenues on smoking prevention campaigns. The annual level of funding advised by the Center for Disease Control is $32 million.

At the same time, tobacco industry spends an average of $100 million annually for promotion of tobacco products across Kansas. That is 45 times more than the state’ expenses on prevention and cessation programs.

The nationwide report called “A Broken Promise to Our Children” was made up by a coalition of anti-smoking organizations, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Lung Association, American Heart Foundation and others. The 2009 report is the 11th edition of the annual report that was initially carried out in 1998 after the conclusion of Master Settlement Agreement.

The report says that 20 percent of high school students across Kansas smoke and almost 3.000 adolescents take up smoking each year.

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths throughout the nation.

Pickering declared that it is a foolish strategy from the state legislature to underestimate the importance of tobacco prevention programs, since it is a well-known fact that protecting and preventing health complications is much less expensive that treating them.

In conformity with Youth Tobacco Survey – a statewide research carried out in 2005 and considered the most recent and reliable data, 18 percent of Douglas County students of middle and high schools smoke.

The Community Health Improvement Project established several years ago by Douglas County Public Health Department and referred to as CHIP, is eager to decrease that rate by rising awareness on tobacco hazards and educating children.

Although the recession and huge budget holes obliged the Kansas legislature to cut the funding of CHIP Anti-smoking programs by 17 percent that had not stopped the program staff from continuing their efforts.

Janette Maki, head of CHIP Smoking Prevention Program admitted that smoking is usually tried for the first time in early adolescence, when kids want to be considered as adults by their peers.

Therefore, CHIP efforts are focused on providing workshops and awareness campaigns for students of local schools, where teenagers are taught about the dangers of smoking and encouraged to avoid trying tobacco products.

!!! Annonce !!! Forum Marlboro.