An annual study claims Wisconsin is lagging – like many other states – in the amount of money it spends on tobacco prevention. The Tobacco-Free Kids’ research comes upon the 13 year anniversary of the landmark settlement in which tobacco companies pay states every year.
Danny McGoldrick, the group’s VP of research, says the Badger State will bring in $800 million this year from settlement money and tobacco tax revenue. He says less than ten percent of that money would adequately pay for “life saving” tobacco cessation with “a lot of money left over to fund admittedly other very important programs in the state.”
McGoldrick says Wisconsin used to have very robust tobacco cessation programs but has slashed funding in recent years.
Nationally states will collect $25.6 billion from tobacco settlements and taxes, and will spend only $456.7 million on tobacco prevention & cessation programs – the lowest funding levels since 1999.