A study recently released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and American Lung Association chides states for devoting little of the billions of dollars they receive from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes to prevent smoking. States have raked in nearly $22 billion from tobacco sales and the settlement but have spent just $595 million for anti-tobacco efforts. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that states spend a minimum of $1.6 billion on smoking prevention.

Last year, South Carolina ranked last in the nation, spending none of the settlement money it received on anti-smoking programs. This year, it will spend 2 percent of the $100.8 million it receives, raising its ranking to 38th in the nation.

Tennessee, which ranks as one of the nation's top-producing tobacco states, has the dubious distinction of taking over the bottom spot in the nation. It will spend none of the $265.2 million it will collect this year on smoking prevention.

South Carolina needs to spend more than the $2 million a year it now devotes to anti-smoking programs. Its lowest-in-the-nation tobacco tax makes cigarettes easily affordable for underage smokers, even if laws recently have been tightened to make possession of cigarettes by minors a crime.

In addition to cheap cigarettes, South Carolina also is flooded by tobacco advertising. The tobacco companies spend more than $299 million a year on marketing in the state, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. That's 150 time what the state spends on tobacco prevention.

South Carolina, of course, is not alone in its negligence. Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and New Hampshire also ranked near the bottom in spending state funds on tobacco prevention.

Only 14 states fund tobacco prevention programs at half of the CDC's proposed minimum. And 28 states and the District of Columbia spend less than half the CDC minimum.

The class-action lawsuit that prompted the enormous settlement was painted as a crusade for truth and public health. But most states seem to have brushed aside the issue of health now that they are raking in the settlement money.

A reasonable percentage of that money should be used to help ensure that future generations aren't hooked on tobacco. Failing to counter the millions that tobacco companies continue to spend to hawk their products is a grave disservice to our children.

IN SUMMARY
South Carolina needs to spend more tobacco-settlement money on smoking prevention.