Guinn defends use of tobacco money

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.

On Wednesday morning, when the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids issued a report deriding Nevada and the rest of the nation for not spending enough of tobacco settlement money on tobacco prevention, the state task force in charge of disbursing 50 percent of that money was listening to presentations on homelessness and school meals, not tobacco prevention or related health care issues.

That was because the 1999 Legislature under the urging of Gov. Kenny Guinn opted to use large portions of the settlement windfall, estimated at $1.2 billion through 2025 for Nevada's share, for other programs. How the money is spent is now mandated by state law, which designated approximately $4 million toward tobacco prevention programs.

Among these other programs are the Millennium Scholarships, which receives 40 percent of the tobacco settlement money, according to the state treasurer's office. Half of the remaining 60 percent goes to the senior prescription program to provide medication for low-income seniors, and the remaining money goes to other public health programs, including school meals, independent living assistance for senior citizens, dental and medical care for children and, finally, tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Guinn's spokesman, Greg Bortolin, said the governor views both the Millennium Scholarship program and the senior prescription programs as falling under the two major usages the settlement money is designated for -- prevention and health care related to tobacco use.

"To put it delicately, better educated people take better care of their bodies and make better health choices," Bortolin said, explaining how the Millennium Scholarship program fits into the tobacco prevention plan. "So the governor thinks that this is a good justification of tobacco money going into Millennium Scholarship."

And, Bortolin said, most of the seniors benefitting from the prescription program are also suffering from tobacco-related diseases.

The November 1998 tobacco settlement that forced tobacco companies to pay an estimated $246 billion to 46 states over 25 years was supposed to cover tobacco-related health care costs incurred by the states. The settlement did not designate specifically how the money was to be spent, but the nation's governors unanimously pledged to use "a significant portion of the tobacco settlement funds on smoking cessation programs, health care, education and programs benefiting children."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that each state spend 20 to 25 percent of the tobacco settlement money directly on tobacco prevention programs. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids lists Nevada as 25th in the nation in terms of how much it spends on tobacco prevention versus the CDC guidelines.