The budget bill proposed by Governor Walker included a 10% across-the-board reduction to all Department of Health Services (DHS) non-staff appropriations, including the tobacco use control grants. However, the Joint Finance Committee, after approving the 10% reduction to the tobacco use control grants, doubled the cut to this valuable program in a subsequent motion.

Since 2000, the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program has helped more than 150,000 Wisconsin smokers quit, has helped cut the state’s youth smoking rate by more than half, and has helped reduce the adult smoking rate to an all-time low of 20 percent.

These kinds of results are only possible through an adequately funded, comprehensive approach to tobacco prevention and cessation. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the state of Wisconsin spend $64.3 million a year to have an effective, comprehensive tobacco prevention program. After this funding cut, Wisconsin will allocate a mere $5.3 million annually. There is still work to be done to stop kids from starting a deadly tobacco habit. An estimated 76,800 high school students smoke, and another 15,900 become new daily smokers each year.

We know that programs funded by the state tobacco use control grants work. According to SmokeFree, every scientific authority that has studied the issue, including the National Cancer Institute, the Institute of Medicine, and the US Surgeon General, has concluded that when properly funded and implemented, programs reduce smoking among both kids and adults.

Tobacco use control grants are a solid investment in Wisconsin, and they are popular programs. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, every 1 percent increase in Wisconsin’s smoking rate results in $641 million in additional long-term health care costs. And for the average state, more than 17% of all smoking-caused healthcare expenditures are paid for by state Medicaid dollars.

Voters recognize the importance of funding tobacco control programs, and we need legislators to budget accordingly. A recent poll by various public health groups found that an overwhelming 75% of voters support programs aimed at reducing tobacco use.

Wisconsin Legislators need to reverse the trend of reducing funding of tobacco control in future budgets. Investment in tobacco cessation and prevention is an important and cost-effective investment in Wisconsin’s future physical and fiscal health.

Sara Eskrich

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About the series: “31 Ways in 31 Days” is a series of posts to the WCCF blog exploring the recently-passed biennial budget’s impact on children and families in Wisconsin. Each day in July, we are posting a description of one way the budget will affect kids and families, with an eye toward what should be done going forward to help improve outcomes and move us closer to the goal of making Wisconsin a place where every child has the opportunity to grow up, learn, and thrive in a safe, healthy, economically secure home and community.