Attorney General's News Release

November 30, 2004

AG Nixon, statewide health organizations urge legislators to address youth smoking with new tobacco money

Attorney General Nixon announces his plan to help reduce teen smoking with new tobacco money to a class of sixth-graders at Holman Middle School in St. Ann.

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon and several statewide health organizations are urging the General Assembly to use the new money received from smaller tobacco companies to establish and fund a coordinated effort to address the problem of youth smoking and tobacco use.

Statistics from health authorities show that the percentage of Missouri high school students who smoke (30.3 percent) is higher than the percentage of Missouri adults who smoke (26.6 percent). Missouri's smoking rate is the third highest in the nation, according to the Missouri Partnership on Smoking or Health.

"Missouri remains without a significant, coordinated youth smoking prevention program, despite the fact that more than $822 million in tobacco settlement money has been paid to the state to date," Nixon says. "Not one dollar of that $822 million has been spent to keep young people from smoking.

"We have seen the success of other states using coordinated efforts to reduce smoking rates, especially among teens," Nixon said. "It's time for Missouri to commit resources to such an effort by using the new source of tobacco money."

Nixon was referring to money the state will receive from tobacco companies that recently joined the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between tobacco manufacturers and 46 states. The companies signed on to the MSA after aggressive litigation by Nixon to enforce a state law requiring non-participating manufacturers to pay into a liability escrow fund.

"This new source of money will bring approximately $7 million to the state of Missouri each year," Nixon said. "It can and should be earmarked to fund programs to stop our children from picking up the smoking habit. The number of Missouri teens who now smoke who will die of smoking-related causes, 144,000, is about equal to the entire population of Springfield, the state's third-largest city."

Joining Nixon in expressing their support for a youth smoking-prevention initiative are representatives of the American Cancer Society; the American Heart Association, MO Heartland Affiliate; the American Lung Association of Missouri; and the Missouri State Medical Association.

"Smoking prevention is among the American Lung Association's highest priorities," says David Knowles, director of public advocacy for the American Lung Association of Missouri. "Smoking is a very serious public health concern, and we are very pleased that Attorney General Nixon has stepped up to take a leadership role in this effort."

"Smoking and tobacco use is the most preventable cause of death in our society," says Edmond B. Cabbabe, M.D., president of the Missouri State Medical Association. "It is sound public policy to do everything possible to discourage individuals from using tobacco, and aiding those already addicted to tobacco in freeing themselves of this deadly habit. As such, Missouri's physicians fully support earmarking this new source of money for tobacco prevention and cessation."

"We may be the 'Show-Me State,' but there's little to show in the state's efforts to fight tobacco use," says Lynne Schlosser, American Cancer Society director of government relations. "Tobacco is a major problem in Missouri — especially among youth. The American Cancer Society fully supports and thanks the Attorney General in his efforts to create legislation that will place much-needed funds into youth prevention programs. This legislation is long overdue."

"The root cause of most cardiovascular diseases is in childhood and adolescence. This particularly applies to the use of tobacco," says Dr. Soraya Nouri, a professor of pediatrics at Washington University, on behalf of the American Heart Association. "Any serious attempt to reduce death, disability and risk due to cardiovascular disease and stroke must in part start in childhood and commit to controlling the use of tobacco products.

"Comprehensive preventive cardiology programs have proven to be successful in childhood as well as adult populations," Dr. Nouri says. "The choice is spend now on these youth tobacco control programs or pay dearly later. The American Heart Association strongly supports legislation to honor the intent of the tobacco settlement and fund the Youth Smoking Prevention Initiative."

Under the initiative proposed by Nixon and the associations, the General Assembly would pass legislation to create a commission to select appropriate programs designed to reduce youth smoking. The commission would include the directors of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Health and Senior Services; state representatives and state senators; the Attorney General; and members of the Missouri health community, including physicians, nurses, and representatives of hospitals and non-profit health organizations.

"Because several other states have succeeded with similar efforts to reduce youth smoking, there is now significant data available on programs that work," Nixon says.

Nixon points to the success of such efforts as a pilot program instituted by the Texas state health department that targeted sixth- and seventh-graders in suburban Houston. The education program helped reduce teen tobacco use by 28 percent in the targeted counties.

Similarly, a program started in Florida in 1998 has reduced smoking rates by 50 percent among middle school students and by 35 percent among high school students in four years. A program in New York City aimed at students in grades four through nine emphasizes parental involvement, dietary behavior and physical fitness. The New York program has reduced smoking among ninth-graders by 73 percent.

"There are programs that have demonstrated their success," Nixon says. "If we care enough about our kids, we will commit the necessary resources — which are available — to turning around Missouri's poor record on youth smoking prevention."

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

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