ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JUDITH KELLER, EXEC DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION OF KANSAS
Many needs and many suggestions about how to spend the tobacco
settlement in Kansas have surfaced. And, nothing mobilizes an
interest
group more than the hope of money for its heartfelt interest.
In Kansas, there has been some general agreement that at least
some of
the tobacco settlement should be used to help children.
But the definition of both ?children? and ?help? runs a gamut from
Internet service in schools to early childhood education.
While admitting that we, too, have a special interest in the
tobacco
settlement dollars, the American Lung Association of Kansas does
not
ask nor expect any money from the settlement for its own programs.
What we want is to see that a significant portion of the
settlement is
used for the purposes for which the suit was originally filed?to
reduce the death and disease, and the medical expenses these
cause, of
present and potential victims of tobacco.
We have an opportunity to inoculate our children against their
early
death and certain disease if they should consider tobacco. We can
do
this by helping them chose not to use tobacco.
Using tobacco settlement dollars, Kansas can put in place the very
community and school-based programs and anti-tobacco
advertisements
that have been proven effective in California, Florida, Oregon and
Massachusetts.
These programs work. They can assure a healthier future for our
children.
Let your legislator know that tobacco prevention programs are the
best
use for a substantial portion of the tobacco settlem
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