Connecticut Attorney General's Office

Press Release

Attorney General Laments State's "F" On Anti-Smoking Efforts From American Lung Association, Calls For Increased Tobacco Prevention, Cessation Spending

January 13, 2010

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today called on the General Assembly to significantly increase smoking prevention and cessation funding after the state received an "F" for its anti-smoking efforts from American Lung Association (ALA).

Connecticut will spend $7.1 million this year on smoking prevention and cessation, 16.2 percent of the Centers for Disease Control's recommended $43.9 million, according to ALA's annual survey. Blumenthal noted that Connecticut will collect this year $494 million from the 1998 tobacco settlement and in tobacco taxes, but spend just 1.5 percent of it on smoking prevention and cessation.

The ALA survey also gives Connecticut a "thumbs down" for providing no tobacco cessation programs to Medicaid recipients.

"This survey showers shame on Connecticut, exposing as woefully inadequate the state's anti-tobacco spending," Blumenthal said. "Smoking cessation and prevention programs literally save lives and dollars, preventing early death and chronic disease that devastate lives and families and add tens of millions to public healthcare costs. Failing to provide Medicaid recipients -- who are more likely to smoke and often eager to quit -- anti-smoking services is especially egregious and shortsighted.

"This failing grade should spark swift action -- much more money for programs to prevent and stop smoking. I urge the General Assembly to transform this 'F' into an 'A' by dramatically increasing anti-smoking spending."

Blumenthal called, for example, for full funding of the Quitline program under which smokers seeking to quit receive free nicotine replacement products and counseling. He urged lawmakers to increase funding from $1.6 million to $5 million.