A panel of state lawmakers is taking a look at how the state spends its share of a federal tobacco settlement with the possibility of slight changes to the spending program early next year.
Forty-six states, including Arkansas, in 1998 settled a lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Since then, Arkansas has received $446 million, including about $57 million this year, with all of the proceeds devoted to seven health programs. Arkansas’s share is projected to be $1.6 billion over 25 years, though some tobacco companies that were part of the original settlement are now trying to change those terms, putting future payment in jeopardy. That issue isn’t likely to be settled for a couple of years.
In the meantime, Arkansas is one of the few states to devote its entire share to health programs, in accordance with an initiated act approved by voters in 2000. The state has won accolades from national health organizations for the commitment.
In the 2001 session, the General Assembly implemented legislation putting the tobacco funds into effect. Debate had raged for months on the issue. People on all sides brought up some good points.
With annual payments of $50 million to $60 million each year, lawmakers put the first $100 million in payments into an interest-bearing trust account that’s now up to $125 million. Since then, the payments have gone to establish research facilities and health programs at Arkansas State University, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Other funds have been disbursed for various treatment programs, such as for breast cancer and cervical cancer; to the Meals on Wheels program, for the elderly and for shut-ins; a School of Public Health at UAMS; grants to local communities and hospitals; and smoking-cessation and prevention programs, especially those aimed at young people.
Members of the health services subcommittees of the House and Senate committees on public health, welfare and labor plan to hold eight to 10 meetings reviewing the tobacco funds. The first of those was held recently in Little Rock.
An overhaul of the spending plan isn’t expected, according to news accounts of that first meeting. Any adjustments could be approved in the fiscal session we’ll hold in February, but voters’ intent in their overwhelming passage of the 2000 initiated act will be kept front and center.
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Tobacco is an annual or bi-annual growing 1-3 meters tall with large sticky leaves that contain nicotine. Native to the Americas, tobacco has a long history of use as a shamanic inebriant and stimulant. It is extremely popular and well-known for its addictive potential.
Nicotiana rustica leaves.
Nicotiana rustica leaves have a nicotine content as high as 9%, whereas Nicotiana tabacum (common tobacco) leaves contain about 1 to 3%
A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco which is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Sumatra, Philippines, and the Eastern United States.
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines. In consumption it may be in the form of cigarettes smoking, snuffing, chewing, dipping tobacco, or snus.
