Of course, the Statesman didn't say that. They reported the following—
- Tobacco companies spend over $57 million a year in Idaho selling cigarettes
- Money spent by tobacco companies marketing tobacco is 41 times as much as we spend on on tobacco prevention.
- Idaho will collect $81.9 million this year as our share of the tobacco settlement
- Less than 2 percent of money from the tobacco settlement will be spent on tobacco prevention
- Idaho spends only 12 percent of minimum recommendations on tobacco prevention
Ask Maine. The state has reduced smoking among high school students by 59 percent and among middle school students by 64 percent. They are the leader of the 50 states in funding tobacco prevention programs.
In Idaho 15.8 percent of high school students smoke, the Statesman article reports. Every year 1,700 more youngsters become regular smokers, and every year 1,500 lives are lost in Idaho due to smoking-related health problems at a cost to the state of $319 million in healthcare costs alone.
The only good thing I can say about this is that at least we're honest. We don't hold back the fact that we'd rather have tobacco companies spending $57 million a year in our state promoting cigarette smoking than working to save lives. Cutting smoking rates by one third could save the lives of at least 500 Idaho residents and associated costs of at least $100 million.
It doesn't make sense financially. It doesn't make sense from a health perspective. It doesn't make sense from the perspective of employers and businesses in Idaho.
But it does make sense to one active segment of society that will not give in, slow down, or shut up: The tobacco industry. We'd rather support the tobacco industry than our own kids. For shame.
