In November 1998, the State of South Dakota and 45 other states entered into a multi-state settlement agreement with the tobacco industry to settle cases that were filed against the tobacco industry largely for health and economic damages caused by the tobacco industry. This settlement will potentially yield over $650 million dollars to the state during the next 25 years.

The Governor and the legislature did not address the issue of how to appropriate these dollars during the 1999 legislative session. However, there was and continues to be much discussion about the possible uses of these funds. Those allocation decisions are likely to be made during the next legislative session.

There are two key organizations in our state acting to improve tobacco-related problems. The South Dakota Tobacco Education Project, funded through grants from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, works to call attention to the problem and educate our citizens. The South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network, funded through private grants, advocates for programs which can improve the health of our citizens. These organizations are committed to the premise that a meaningful portion of the tobacco settlement funds should be dedicated to funding effective programming designed to significantly reduce tobacco use in South Dakota. The availability of these funds, funds paid to South Dakota to address the harms caused by tobacco, represents a unique and perhaps one-time, opportunity to aggressively address tobacco addiction in South Dakota without increasing the already significant tax burden being borne by citizens paying for current and future tobacco-caused illnesses.

The voting public is also willing to use settlement funds for tobacco control. In a January 1999 poll of South Dakota adults, nearly 70% of those surveyed strongly favored using tobacco settlement funds for efforts that will reduce tobacco use among children.

Sixty percent felt that at least half the settlement funds should be spent on efforts to reduce tobacco use among children. The tobacco settlement payments to South Dakota are sufficient to fund a successful tobacco control program, and still provide a source of funds to respond to other state needs.

Experience from other states proves that we really can make a difference. While South Dakota tobacco use continues to climb, some states are effectively lowering the rates of tobacco use and addiction through comprehensive, long-term, well-funded tobacco use prevention and control programs. These states include California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Florida, Arizona and Alaska. Independent evaluations of these programs show the following results:

From 1990 to 1993, cigarette consumption in CA fell by almost 40%.

Tobacco consumption in MA decreased 31% between 1992 and 1997, compared to only 8% decrease in the remaining states, excluding CA.

Youth smoking rates declined in CA and remained unchanged in MA from 1995-97 during the same period when the national rate increased from 34.4% to 36.4% (South Dakota’s rate climbed from 38% to 44% in the same period.)

Smoking during pregnancy dropped nearly 50% in MA from 1990-96. (South Dakota’s rate of smoking during pregnancy during 1997 was 22.7%, compared to a national rate of 14.6%).

After less than a year of exposure to Florida anti-tobacco program, the number of teen smokers dropped by more than 30,000 teenagers; and other forms of tobacco use dropped as well.

The above data demonstrates that we can make a significant difference in the rate of tobacco use in South Dakota. Using the successful components of tobacco control programs from several other states, South Dakota can develop an effective statewide program, adapting strategies to address our priorities and funding.

South Dakota Family Physicians are a real key to making a difference with the tobacco problem in our state. We understand the problem better than anyone else does. We see the adolescents when they are just becoming addicted, we treat the adults with tobacco related illnesses, and then we help care for our patients as they slowly die from lung cancer and emphysema.

In the next several months we need to help educate our patients, our community citizens and our legislature. The message is clear:

Kids are becoming addicted to tobacco every day in South Dakota, and the problem is getting worse. We must act to reverse this problem. We all pay for tobacco-related health care costs through higher taxes. Unless we use the tobacco settlement money wisely we will face even higher costs in the future.

Other states have proven that we can make a difference in this problem and now we can do something using tobacco industry money to stop this deadly addiction.

If you would like to become more active in the struggle against tobacco addiction and would be willing to help work for an effective state tobacco control plan, please contact the South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians at 1-605-357-1504 and ask for information about how you can help.