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Published: November 19, 2008 12:21 am    print this story   email this story     

State has been responsible steward of tobacco money

Oklahoma has a little something to celebrate with the news the number of adult smokers in the state has fallen about 3 percent since 2001.

Officials report the number of adult smokers dropped from 28.7 percent in 2001 to 25.2 percent in the first six months of this year.

While the decline is encouraging, Oklahoma still has a smoking rate that is 5 percent higher than the national average.

That’s why the trust fund set up about 10 years to ensure anti-tobacco funding would be available each year is so important in helping the state continue to combat smoking.

Oklahoma is the only state in the nation to establish a constitutionally protected trust fund with the tobacco settlement money the state received. The money is part of the 1998 settlement by four of the nation’s largest tobacco companies.

States were free to spend the money any way they wanted to, and they have. Most of them used the money for other purposes. However, Oklahoma has dedicated the funds to protect kids from tobacco addiction and to help smokers quit.

We agree with state health officials the money has made the difference in helping curb Oklahoma’s adult smoker numbers.

Perhaps the biggest indicator the money is helping educate younger people against smoking is a recent survey showed 33.5 percent of Oklahoma high school students smoked in 1999 compared to 24.3 percent in 2007. It’s obvious kids are hearing the anti-tobacco message, and they’re choosing not to take up smoking in the first place.

Oklahoma has been a responsible steward of the tobacco money, and that is something state citizens can be proud of.

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