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Welcome to NC for Health, a campaign of the NC Alliance for Health.

Keep the Promise to Protect NC Youth
Tell Your Legislators to Continue
$17.3 million in Funding
for NC’s Successful Tobacco Use
Prevention and Cessation Efforts

Last year’s state budget eliminated the Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF), which for nearly 10 years had used Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) dollars to fund the majority of NC’s tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The budget transferred $22 million of the remaining HWTF dollars as one-time funding to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for public health programs, including tobacco use prevention. DHHS allocated $17.3 million to tobacco prevention and cessation in FY2012, but this funding is currently non-recurring. All programs will end June 30, 2012 unless the General Assembly acts to continue these successful programs.

North Carolina’s tobacco prevention and cessation programs work and have a successful track record. Since North Carolina first received Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) funding in 2002:

Public schools in all 100 counties have gone tobacco-free;
There are 53,000 fewer youth smokers in the state;
The middle school smoking rate in North Carolina has been cut by more than half (from 9.3% to 4.3%), and the high school smoking rate has dropped by a third (from 27.3% to 16.7%), representing the lowest youth smoking rates in state history;
7,000 North Carolinians have ended their addiction to tobacco with the help of QuitlineNC; and,
Thirteen percent of NC women reported smoking during pregnancy in 2003. By 2008, that declined to 10%.

Research shows that eliminating tobacco prevention programs can stall or even reverse this progress very quickly. Unless recurring funds are secured for tobacco cessation and prevention programs, more NC teens will become addicted to tobacco, and preventable health care costs will rise.

North Carolina can save more lives and continue to improve health, but to do so we must continue to invest in these effective programs. Tell your lawmakers to support continued funding of $17.3 million for tobacco prevention programs!

Send your Message Now
Continue tobacco use prevention and
cessation funding in North Carolina

The letters below will be sent on your behalf to targeted legislators when you complete the registration form and click "Take Action":

Please support a recurring appropriation of at least $17.3 million in this year's budget for tobacco use prevention and cessation programs. Without additional state funding, these successful programs will end June 30, 2012.

Every year, the state receives tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) funds which are specifically intended to help states address the health and financial toll of tobacco use. Last year, North Carolina received $138 million in MSA funds, of which just $17.3 million were spent on tobacco prevention.

North Carolina's tobacco prevention and cessation programs work and have a successful track record. Since North Carolina first received MSA funding in 2002:

~ Public schools in all 100 counties have gone tobacco-free;
~ There are 53,000 fewer youth smokers in the state;
~ The middle school smoking rate in North Carolina has been cut by more than half (from 9.3% to 4.3%), and the high school smoking rate has dropped by a third (from 27.3% to 16.7%), representing the lowest youth smoking rates in state history;
~ 7,000 North Carolinians have ended their addiction to tobacco with the help of QuitlineNC; and,
~ Thirteen percent of NC women reported smoking during pregnancy in 2003. By 2008, that declined to 10%.

Research shows that eliminating tobacco prevention programs can stall or even reverse this progress very quickly. Unless recurring funds are secured for tobacco prevention and cessation programs, more NC teens will become addicted to tobacco, and preventable health care costs will rise.

A recent poll found that 74 percent of likely voters support continuing to use tobacco settlement revenue for programs to prevent kids from starting to smoke and help smokers quit. Continued funding for tobacco prevention programs will save lives, save money, and is popular among voters.

Please continue tobacco use prevention and cessation funding at $17.3 million in next year's budget. Keep the promise made to protect NC youth when the tobacco settlement funds first came to the state ten years ago to fund tobacco control efforts. Our youth are depending on it.

Your name and address will be added automatically to the signature line so that the targeted legislator can reply to your correspondence.

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