The news nationwide was not good regarding teen smoking. Since the 1990s, the nation had experienced a long and steady decline in teen smoking. While more than 36 percent of teens smoked in 1997, that figure had dropped to 22 percent by 2003.

But when health officials surveyed teens between 2003 and 2005, they got disturbing news. The decline had ceased, and around 23 percent of teens were smoking. In South Carolina, the figures were slightly worse, with 24.4 percent of high school students calling themselves regular smokers.

Health officials attribute the plummet in teen smoking in the '90s to a few distinct events. First, a settlement between states and the tobacco industry curtailed cigarette advertising. That was especially effective at limiting advertising aimed directly at teen-agers and designed to hook a new generation of smokers.

The settlement also made billions of dollars available to the states for anti-smoking programs. And a number of states also raised tobacco taxes and devoted a portion of the revenues to smoking prevention programs.

Raising the tobacco tax also had another direct benefit: The added cost discouraged young people from buying cigarettes.

But money for anti-tobacco advertising has waned in recent years, and many states have diverted settlement money to other causes. The unfortunate result could be an increase in teen smoking.

And how much does the state of South Carolina spend on smoking prevention? Zero.

South Carolina now ranks dead last among the states in anti-smoking efforts, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Carolina also has the dubious distinction of having the lowest tobacco tax in the nation.

In fact, the state has not allocated any of its tobacco settlement dollars or tobacco tax revenues for smoking prevention programs since 2003.

Under the terms of the 2000 tobacco settlement, the state eventually received $912 million, which was transferred into four trust funds. The largest trust fund, the Health Care Endowment, received 73 percent of the money.

Interest on the principal in that fund was supposed to be used, at least in part, to fund anti-smoking programs. But by 2003, with pressure from a budget crisis, lawmakers not only diverted the interest to other needs but also withdrew $100 million from the fund's principal to offset the budget deficit.

No state money has been spent since 2003 for smoking prevention.

Of South Carolinians high school age or older, nearly one in four smokes. The CDC estimates that the state pays more than $1 billion a year in annual health-care costs directly caused by smoking. And much of that represents costs borne by taxpayers.

In other words, if we don't do something now to prevent an upsurge in teen smoking, we will pay for it down the road. The smart thing -- in terms of both long-term cost and the welfare of our children -- would be to invest in anti-smoking programs now.

IN SUMMARY
Decline in teen smoking has hit a plateau, and state is not prepared deal with possible upsurge.