Tobacco control programs and tobacco consumption

that adequate funding of tobacco control programs by all 50 states would reduce the number of adults who smoke by promoting quit ting, preventing young people from ever starting, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, and eliminating disparities in tobacco use among population groups. CDC has established guidelines for com prehensive tobacco control programs, including recommended fund ing levels, in Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Pro grams (CDC 1999; hereafter called Best Practices). Recommenda tions are based on best practices in nine program elements: community programs to reduce tobacco use, chronic disease pro grams to reduce the burden of tobacco-related diseases, school pro grams, enforcement, statewide programs, countermarketing, cessa tion programs, surveillance and evaluation, and administration and management. CDC recommends annual funding per capita to range from $7 to $20 in smaller states (population less than 3 million), $6–$17 in medium-sized states (population 3–7 million), and $5–$16 in larger states (population more than 7 million). CDC (2002) estimates that total expenditures of $861.9 million in 2002 were allocated to tobacco control from national and state sources in the United Sates, or $3.16 per capita. Actual spending in all states was roughly 56 percent of the “lower-bound ” or minimum Best Practices funding recommendation for that year, with only six state