186598 State Tobacco Control Resources, 1998-2006: Missed Opportunities?

Monday, October 27, 2008

Jennifer K. Ibrahim, PhD MPH MA , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Christen Rexing, MPH , Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Background: The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) required tobacco companies to pay states for smoking-related costs imposed on state Medicaid programs, thereby providing states with millions annually to address tobacco use. Several states also have additional revenue from tobacco excise taxes. The purpose of this study was to document the trends in potential state funding resources for tobacco control since the MSA in the context of tobacco use prevalence and consumption, as well as recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control for tobacco control funding levels.

Methods: We searched the National Association of Attorneys General's website, U.S. Government Accountability Reports, states' tobacco control/department of health websites, states' tax revenue departments, and the Centers for Disease Control websites. The data collected included individual states' MSA allocations, tax revenues from tobacco products, and tobacco use prevalence and cigarette consumption for the period of 1998 through 2006.

Results: As a result of a few states' decisions to securitize their MSA payments, overall MSA allocations have mildly decreased in the last three years. While smoking prevalence remains relatively stable in many states, tobacco consumption has declined, resulting in more light smokers and decreased tobacco tax revenues. In addition, inflation has also eroded the power of currently available dollars.

Conclusion: Resources for tobacco control efforts continue to dwindle as declines in tobacco use have stalled. Health officials and advocates alike must demand that revenues generated from the use of tobacco products be dedicated to decreasing the negative health consequences associated with tobacco use.

Learning Objectives:
• Identify factors contributing to variations in MSA allocations beyond the initial amounts set forth in the 1998 settlement. • Review the trends in total available resources for tobacco control in the context of trends in tobacco use prevalence and consumption.

Keywords: Funding, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was responsible for the design and implementation of the study along with a Research Assistant.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.