Don't divert Ohio's tobacco funds

The budget approved by the General Assembly redi rects $216 million promised to the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation.

In 2000, the General Assembly pledged - in legislation - to use funds from a national settlement with the major tobacco companies to support TUPCF, but since 2002, it has diverted approximately $556 million of the promised funding. The settlement was not meant to create a new slush fund for the state, and there are real costs associated with spending this money elsewhere.

TUPCF has done a remarkable job helping Ohio smokers kick the habit. Ohio saw a dramatic, 17.4 percent reduction in the adult smoking rate between 2003 and 2004, which represents 375,000 fewer Ohioans smoking. Without receiving these promised payments, TUPCF's ability to continue its effective programming will be severely hampered.

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Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in Ohio, and tobacco costs Ohio $1.3 billion a year in Medicaid expenditures alone. The facts are clear: Investing in prevention saves lives and saves money. We urge the governor to use his line-item veto to restore funding for tobacco prevention.

Matthew Youngner & Micah Berman

Columbus

Youngner is executive director of Road of Life: Cancer Prevention for Kids. Berman is executive director of the Tobacco Public Policy Center at Capital University Law School.