The N.C. Alliance for Health is making a push to restore state funding for tobacco prevention programs, releasing a poll Wednesday that shows a majority of voters support it.
The Public Opinion Strategies survey found 74 percent of likely 2012 voters want the state to continue spending $17 million a year on programs to prevent children from smoking and help smokers quit.
But when asked to balance the funding against the state's tough budget situation, support fell to 60 percent, with 35 percent suggesting money from the tobacco settlement should help pay for other state programs and balance the budget, the poll showed.
"We can spend a little now or a lot later," said Pam Seamans, executive director of the N.C. Alliance for Health. "Tobacco prevention is one of the smartest and most fiscally responsible investments we can make, even in difficult budget times. If we continue to invest in tobacco prevention now, we will not only reduce smoking and save lives, but also save more money than we spend by reducing smoking-caused health care costs."
The poll was conducted a month ago and has a 4.4 percentage point margin of error. It was paid for by the alliance, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The money that pays for the smoking prevention programs faces extinction unless lawmakers take action in May to restore it in the state budget.
In prior years, the money came from the state's tobacco settlement through the Health and Wellness Trust Fund. But Republican budget writers eliminated the trust fund last year and gave the money to the state Division of Public Health. But the budget only left the program enough money to operate until June 30, alliance officials said.
The poll showed that support for the program crossed party, ideological and geographical lines. About 80 percent said it was "important" to use the settlement money for prevention programs. In a political twist, 59 percent of those polled said they were more likely to vote for a state lawmaker who continued funding the tobacco prevention program.
Comments
It's not taxpayer money
February 22, 2012 - 2:41pm — bigdaddyfigsIt's sad that people are upset about saving youths lives from the folks who are peddling poison to them. The funds that are being taken away are from the Tobacco Master settlement Agreement money awarded to the state not our taxes. It's actually money for prevention and the state wants to use for other things which is sad. It's a shame we have to save us from ourselves.
This can't be so
February 22, 2012 - 11:47am — BurlHarleyDo we as people and collectively as people of a state really believe that it is the government's responsibility to tell us that we should not smoke or to help us quit? Is this not a personal responsibility to ourselves and families that is our business and ours alone? And as for children, that is purely a parenting issue, not one for the government to intervene. We cannot continue to trade personal responsibility for a government crutch and this is an absurd waste of taxpayer money.