Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102774

W. David Austin, MS¹, David G. Altman, PhD², Robert H. Beach, PhD¹, and Alison Snow Jones, PhD³. (1) Health, Social and Economics Research, Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, 919/485-5579, rbeach@rti.org, (2) Research and Innovation, Center for Creative Leadership, 1 Leadership Place , P.O. Box 26300, Greensboro, NC 27410-6300, (3) Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157

Based on statements made by those negotiating the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between 46 states and the major tobacco companies, public health advocates (and the general public) had reason to believe that a substantial share of over $200 billion in scheduled MSA payments would be allocated to smoking cessation and prevention programs. However, states have typically allocated only a small proportion of their MSA funds towards tobacco control to date. While there have been several general assessments of the proportion of MSA expenditures allocated to tobacco control, there has been very little detailed examination of the alternative purposes to which MSA payments have been allotted and the types of organizations that have received funding. North Carolina, the largest tobacco producer in the U.S., is an interesting case study because state legislators have faced the tobacco-state complication of a severe contraction of tobacco farming communities, but a tobacco industry lobby that continues to be strong. For instance, an analysis of the allocation of North Carolina's MSA funds shows that only 5.1 percent of the total $545 million in committed MSA funds ($28 million) has been targeted at tobacco control, while there have been $47 million in payments to tobacco farmers to directly support continued tobacco production. This study examines the allotment of North Carolina MSA expenditures to illustrate the alternative ways in which MSA funds have been used and to explore how and why tobacco control programs have received a much smaller share of the funds than anticipated.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe the distribution of North Carolina Master Settlement Agreement funds.
• Identify factors that have contributed to the share of funds allocated to tobacco control programs being far less than anticipated.
• Discuss the implications of MSA funding decisions for tobacco control and economic development.

Keywords: Tobacco Settlement, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.