Utah No. 17 — and No. 1

Utah funds its tobacco prevention programs at less than half of federal recommendations, according to a study released Wednesday from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Utah ranks 17th in the nation in terms of funding anti-smoking programs with funds from the Master Tobacco Settlement, which, when combined with taxes on tobacco products, will pour more than $21.3 billion into states in fiscal year 2006.

Of that, states have appropriated just $551 million for tobacco prevention next year, according to the report.

Despite Utah's 17th-place ranking, which fell three spots from last year's 14th place, state officials don't view Wednesday's report in a negative light.

"Of course, we know that better-funded programs tend to have better results, but I feel that we are showing results and that's great news," said Lena Dibble of the Utah Department of Health's Tobacco Prevention and Control program. "To me, this just reiterates what we already know: that we have a strong program and we are seeing results."

According to a September health department study, Utah's adult smoking rate — 10.5 percent — is at its lowest since 1984, when the department began tracking smoking rates. Additionally, the study found, the smoking rate for high school students has also decreased by 39 percent since 1999.

Wednesday's report notes that only four states — Maine, Colorado, Delaware and Mississippi — fund their anti-smoking campaigns at or above the minimum levels recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some, such as Michigan, South Carolina and Tennessee, aren't using Master Settlement Agreement funds at all for tobacco prevention programs, Wednesday's report states.

"I think it's disappointing that the U.S. in general perhaps isn't doing more, but I see Utah's rank as pretty solid," Dibble said. "I think 17th in the nation is very good, especially given the fact that we have the lowest smoking rates in the nation."

In Utah, 7.3 percent of high school students smoke, and each year, 2,500 kids become regular smokers, according to the report. That rate is considerably lower than the national rate of high schoolers who smoke, which is 21.7 percent. Nationally, another 1,500 kids become regular smokers every day.

The CDC has recommended that Utah spend a minimum of $15.23 million on tobacco prevention efforts. For the past three years, lawmakers have appropriated $7.2 million, or 47.3 percent of minimum recommendations, to tobacco prevention programs.

Nationwide, states are expected to collect an estimated $246 billion from the 1998 settlement over the course of 25 years.

Under Utah law, part of the state's annual payments are placed in a trust fund and can be used for tobacco prevention programs and other health-care programs. The remainder of tobacco funds is available for appropriation through the regular budget process.

Wednesday's report, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children," was also released by the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and American Lung Association.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com