New Report: Increasing Ohio's Tobacco Tax Would Fund Economic Stimulus Plan and Preserve Highly-Successful Tobacco Preventi...(Strickland and legislative leaders propo...),Health

Date:4/23/2008

Strickland and legislative leaders proposed taking $230 million of the Foundation's remaining endowment of $270 million to help fund an economic stimulus package. On April 8, in an effort to ensure its funds are used as intended for tobacco prevention programs, the Ohio Foundation entered into a contract to transfer $190 million of its funds to the American Legacy Foundation, a national organization that conducts tobacco prevention and cessation campaigns. The American Legacy Foundation has pledged to use these funds for the benefit of Ohio. This contract was executed shortly before Governor Strickland signed into law emergency legislation to liquidate the Ohio Foundation's endowment.

On April 9, the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality and legality of the emergency law. On April 10, Judge David W. Fais of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court ordered the Foundation's money frozen and scheduled the next hearing for April 24.

At the time of the 1998 state tobacco settlement, Ohio leaders promised to use a portion of the approximately $300 million in settlement funds the state receives each year for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. In 2000, they created the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation to receive this portion of the annual settlement funds and establish a permanent endowment to run tobacco prevention and cessation programs. However, Ohio leaders since have diverted annual settlement payments from the Foundation, and last year they securitized (sold to investors) future settlement payments for a smaller lump-sum payment, effectively denying the Foundation any additional settlement funds.

Now the Governor and legislative leaders want to raid what's left of the Foundation's previously allocated funds.

The Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation has a strong record of success. The Foundation's programs have helped reduce smoking by 47 percent among middle sch
'/>"/>

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Copyright©2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

0 GOOD

Page: 1 2 3 4
Related medicine news :

1. American Heart Association Surgical Supplement Journal Report: Appropriate Hospital Discharge System Can Prevent Future Cardiac Events
2. New Report: Dangerous Drug Side Effects and Deaths Doubled Since 1998... Seniors Hit Hardest
3. New Report: Increasing Oregons Cigarette Tax Will Reduce Smoking, Save Lives and Save Money
4. New report: private/public insurance mix is most practical way to achieve universal coverage
5. New Report: Increasing Marylands Cigarette Tax Will Reduce Smoking, Save Lives and Save Money
6. Report: Medicare-Administered Drug Benefit Would be More Affordable, Comprehensive, Stable than Current Private Insurance-Run Drug Benefit
7. Landmark Report: Excess Body Fat Causes Cancer
8. New Report: Tobacco Regulation Would Save Iowa $449 Million in Health Care Costs by Preventing 25,700 Kids from Smoking
9. Report: Too Few Physicians, Nurses to Implement Presidential Candidates Health Reform Plans
10. American Heart Association Themed Issue Journal Report: Journal Edition Dedicated to Womens Unique Hypertension Issues
11. New MedPAC Report: Abbreviated Biogenerics Pathway Urgently Needed