Tobacco report slams Hawai'i
By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Health Writer
A national report released yesterday slammed Hawai'i as one of the "most disappointing" states for its diversion of tobacco settlement money intended for anti-smoking education to a new medical school.
State health officials yesterday countered that the report was not an accurate reflection of all the work being done or all the money being spent on anti-tobacco programs.
The report, "Show Us the Money: An Update of the States' Allocation of the Tobacco Settlement Dollars," ranks Hawai'i 27th in the nation for its good use of the millions resulting from the 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry.
Through December, Hawai'i had received $84.4 million of the $1.3 billion it expects to receive over 25 years from the agreement reached by 46 states and tobacco companies in a series of lawsuits over healthcare costs for smokers.
The thrust of the settlement was to provide anti-smoking education, and the report reflects the national debate about the best way to do that.
Clifford Chang, director of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai'i, said the report echoes his disappointment at lawmakers' recent decision to divert 28 percent of the money to build a new university medical school at Kaka'ako.
In order to pay for the school, lawmakers cut a tobacco prevention trust fund in half, so that it receives 12.5 percent of the money. A "rainy day" fund receives 24.5 percent; the medical school gets 28 percent; and the Department of Health is allocated 35 percent, some of which also goes to the Department of Human Services.
"By cutting funding available for tobacco prevention, Hawai'i's leaders let down the state's kids and taxpayers," said William Corr, executive vice president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which sponsored the report along with the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and American Lung Association.
"Unless Hawai'i adequately funds tobacco prevention, the state will pay a high price. More kids will become addicted to tobacco, more lives will be lost and taxpayers will pay more to treat tobacco-related disease."
University of Hawai'i medical school dean Dr. Edwin Cadman believes the use of tobacco money for the new building is appropriate. "We're doing education and research related to healthcare, and we do have tobacco prevention programs in the school of public health and the cancer center," he said. Even more research will be possible with the new expanded facility, he said.
Chang said that while the coalition is appreciative of that work, "we don't believe it makes good sense to use money allocated for prevention and cessation of smoking to build a medical school."
Chang also said that while Hawai'i is making good progress, it still needs aggressive media and community-based campaigns focused exclusively on tobacco.
The report compares state spending with levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. While the CDC suggests Hawai'i spend between $11 million and $23 million a year — based on a per-capita allocation — actual spending was $4.2 million, according to the report.
State Health Director Bruce Anderson estimates the state is spending $7.1 million on tobacco-related activities, and said the report ignores other efforts and sources of money.
He expects that figure will increase as the state rolls out more elements of its health education campaign.
"The fact is that our state is probably leading the nation — if we're not the first, we're near the top — in the amount of money being used for health-related programs," he said.
Anderson said 75 percent of Hawai'i's tobacco settlement money goes to public health initiatives, which he believes surpasses the actions of other states, some of which are using the money to build roads, bridges, and in one case a morgue. And while the report criticized Hawai'i for spending only the interest on the trust fund, Anderson credited lawmakers with a wise decision that will guarantee the state a source of money into the future.
Reach Alice Keesing at akeesing@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.
