Cigarette smoking tileNASHVILLE -Tennessee and Georgia rank near the bottom among states in funding programs aimed at preventing kids from smoking and helping current smokers quit, according to a national report released today.
The report from a coalition of health groups says Tennessee’s standing is 45th in funding when it comes to smoking prevention and cessation, down from No. 44 in the last fiscal year.
Georgia’s ranking dropped from 40th to 43rd, according to according to the report, titled “Broken Promises to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 14 Years Later.”
Tennessee currently spends just $222,267 a year in state dollars on prevention and cessation efforts. That’s just .3 percent of the $71.7 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The figure for Georgia is $750,000 or .6 percent of the CDC’s recommended $116.5 million.