Washblog

Debbie Elliott for National Public Radio lists New Jersey, California, Ohio, and Connecticut as states that used their settlement money for things other than tobacco prevention and cessation programs including things like paying down state budget deficits.  The story sites New York's use of some funds for golf carts and North Carolina's expenditure on tobacco related activities as the most egregious misuse of these dollars.

Washington, on the other hand, has created community based programs that promote health outside of the traditional health care system.  One program highlighted empowers pre-school workers to counsel parents on smoking cessation at the time of their child's enrollment and another focused on working through an Asian temple to target an immigrant population with notable high smoking rates.  More and more this is where the health care debate should be focused.  It's about health, not health care.

The story credits Gov. Christine Gregoire for taking the lead on this issue and notes she was a lead negotiator in this settlement serving as the states Attorney General at the time.

Now Washington State need to focus on rural counties such as our here Grays Harbor.  While the county health department notes teen smoking rates have declined to near state average, the county is the 3rd highest in tobacco related deaths, and at last survey the number of pregnant mothers that smoked still far exceeded the state's average.

The Country Doc
(http://thecountrydocreport.wordpress.com)