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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
Tel: 1-800-CDC-INFO
(1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
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Sustaining State Funding For Tobacco Control
Snapshot from Nebraska
Background
Based on CDC’s Best Practices funding recommendations, Nebraska should be
spending a minimum of $13.3 million a year on its comprehensive tobacco
control program.
In 2000:
the Nebraska Legislature approved $7 million a year for 3
years to fund Tobacco Free Nebraska (TFN).
In 2003:
citing budget concerns, the legislature cut TFN’s budget from
$7 million a year to $405,000 per year.
In 2004:
the Nebraska Legislature used Master Settlement Agreement (MSA)
money to increase TFN’s funding to $2.5 million and included statutory
language to assure that the appropriation of $2.5 million would remain in
effect.
What did Tobacco Free Nebraska and tobacco control advocates WANT?
- Ideally, they wanted to get $13.3 million a year of MSA funds
dedicated to their comprehensive tobacco control program.
- Given a difficult budget situation, they believed that $5 million a
year was a reasonable request.
- They also wanted statutory language that would provide some assurance
that any appropriation would be in effect for multiple years.
WHO could give this to them?
WHAT did the legislators need to hear?
- Lives will be saved.
- Unless funding is restored, 3 years of infrastructure and capacity
building will be erased and tobacco control gains will be lost.
From WHOM did the legislators need to hear
these messages?
- Community members, especially those with no financial interest in the
funding request. Involvement of community members does not guarantee
success, but without it failure is almost guaranteed.
- Program staff.
- Young people, coalition members, those personally affected by tobacco
use, those who have benefited from tobacco control programs (for e.g.,
those who have successfully quit smoking), and advocates.
HOW did advocates get legislators to hear their messages?
- By inviting legislators to local coalition meetings where they could
hear descriptions of program elements, program successes, and personal
stories of program participants.
- Through face-to-face meetings, letters, e-mails, and telephone calls.
- Through a "lobby breakfast" that focused on a range of cancer issues
and not specifically tobacco.
WHAT did Tobacco Free Nebraska get?
- $2.5 million a year of MSA money.
- Statutory language that earmarks this MSA funding for Tobacco Free
Nebraska.
Page last reviewed 06/18/2007
Page last modified 06/18/2007
