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Article: OUR OPINION - Don't lessen the effort to discourage teen smoking
- Article from:
- Honolulu Star - Bulletin
- Article date:
- February 14, 2006
CopyrightCopyright Honolulu Star - Bulletin Feb 14, 2006. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Hawaii has been given poor ratings for the amount of money it spends on tobacco prevention.
HAWAII has made strong efforts in recent years to discourage smoking, but more can be done to reduce the number of children who begin a lifelong addiction with serious health consequences. Instead, the state has reduced its expenditures on tobacco prevention, and the Legislature has yet to initiate cigarette price increases that would cause many teenagers to check their pocketbooks before taking their first puff.
The state now is spending only $5.8 million in the current fiscal year on tobacco prevention and control, resulting in a "D" grade by the American Lung ...