Report: W.Va. Lax on Tobacco Prevention Funding

A group of public health organizations say West Virginia isn’t spending enough money on programs to prevent tobacco use.

According to a report, states this year will collect $25.6 billion from the national tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. But they’ll spend less than 2 percent of it on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

The report was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Cancer Society and several other groups.

It says West Virginia is spending $4.9 million on tobacco prevention funding in the current fiscal year. That’s only about 18 percent of the $27.4 million recommended to be spent by federal officials.

The groups say states are shortchanging programs that prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, as well as save lives and health care costs.