Program Funding
History
March 2008
Washington State’s anti-tobacco efforts began
more than a decade ago, when the Department of Health, in partnership with
the American Cancer Society, participated in the American Stop Smoking
Intervention Study (ASSIST). The National Cancer Institute funded
the demonstration project in 17 states. The goal was to organize and
teach coalitions to advocate for changes in public and private tobacco
policies as a means of reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand
smoke.
The Department of Health funded coalitions in
Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties, and the statewide
Tobacco Free Washington Coalition to plan and implement a variety of
strategies to encourage stronger tobacco prevention and control policies.
Late 1990s
Washington State, along with other states, sued the tobacco
companies for illegally targeting and marketing to minors and violating
Washington’s consumer protection and antitrust laws. Washington’s
Attorney General Christine Gregoire was the lead negotiator in the final
settlement with the companies.
1998
The November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement was
scheduled to provide $4.5 billion over 25 years for Washington State to
help rectify the harm caused by tobacco. The settlement also imposed
major restrictions on the industry’s advertising and marketing machine,
and curtailed its ability to fight anti-tobacco legislation.
1999
The 1999 Washington State Legislature set aside $100 million of
the state’s initial $320 million share of the national tobacco settlement
to create a Tobacco Prevention and Control Account.
At the same time, the Legislature asked the
Department of Health to develop a sustainable, long-term, and
comprehensive tobacco control program. The department appointed a
team of public healthexperts, the Tobacco
Prevention and Control Council, to recommend the most effective measures
to prevent kids from becoming addicted to tobacco, to help adults quit,
and to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke.
The council’s Tobacco Prevention and Control
Plan for Washington State recommended a $26.24 million annual plan,
which, if fully funded over the course of 10 years, would prevent an
estimated 84,000 premature deaths and save more than $3 billion in future
medical costs.
In 1999, the Department of Health set up the
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program with a small, centralized state
staff and contracts for its partners in counties, educational service
districts, and tribes.
2000-2001
The Legislature appropriated $15 million to the Department of
Health for tobacco prevention and control during the program’s first year
(July 2000-June 2001). For the second year (July 2001-June 2002),
the Legislature increased funding to $17.5 million.
In November 2001, Washington voters approved
Initiative 773, raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 60 cents to
$1.425, the highest of any state in the nation at the time. The
Legislature dedicated portions of the tax to healthcare programs and to
the Tobacco Prevention and Control Account.
2002
The Legislature approved a budget of $26.2 million for the
program’s third year (July 2002-June 2003). The budget included
$8.75 million from the tobacco tax increase mandated by Initiative 773.
Additional funding from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ($1.4
million), American Legacy Foundation ($900,000), and fees paid by tobacco
retailers ($900,000) brought each year’s budget to $29.4 million.
2003-08
Program funding remains relatively stable. Washington
State ranks 10th nationally in per capita spending on tobacco prevention
and control, and supports the program at about 80 percent of the Centers
for Disease Control’s recommended funding level.
A comprehensive approach
to fighting tobacco use
Research shows that state tobacco prevention programs must be
broad-based and comprehensive to be effective. Washington’s Tobacco
Prevention and Control Program provides services to help people quit,
encourages smoke-free environments, conducts public awareness and media
campaigns, supports programs in communities and schools, restricts the
ability of kids to get tobacco, and evaluates the effectiveness of state
and local program activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
(PDF 56 KB)
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