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Georgia ranks 48th on a list in funding programs to protect children from tobacco, according to a report released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and American Lung Association.

The report is called “A Broken Promise To Our Children.” It says Georgia currently spends $2.2 million a year on tobacco-prevention programs, which is 5.3 percent of the minimum amount of $42.6 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, Georgia ranked 44th, also spending $2.3 million on tobacco prevention.

According to the report:

• Tobacco companies spend more than $444 million a year on marketing in
  Georgia. This is almost 200 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.
• Georgia this year will collect $405 million from the tobacco settlement and
  tobacco taxes, but will spend less than 1 percent of it on tobacco prevention.

“Georgia continues to be one of the most disappointing states when it comes to protecting kids from tobacco because it currently spends barely 5 percent of the recommended minimum,” says William V. Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “In order to reduce the number of kids who smoke, the governor and Legislature should raise the state cigarette tax and increase funding for tobacco prevention. Unless Georgia’s leaders take action, more kids will become addicted to tobacco, more lives will be lost and taxpayers will pay more in tobacco-related health care costs.”

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