Rural Iowans want tobacco money spent on cessation programs

A survey of rural Iowans shows a majority want the state to spend money fromthe federal tobacco settlement on smoking prevention and cessation programs.The study was conducted by the University of Northern Iowa and theUniversity of Iowa’s College of Public Health. Dr. Paul Pomrehn (Pom-wren)of the U-of-I says 420 people were given a list of choices for spending themoney. Twenty-percent favored using the money for K-12 educationalprograms, but those who favored prevention and cessation programs totaled29-percent. Pomrehn says only 11-percent wanted the money used for taxrelief. Iowa will get nearly two-billion dollars from its portion of thesettlement. Pomrehn says people in the survey felt that one-quarter of thatmoney should be used for prevention and cessation programs. Pomrehn explainswhy the survey included only rural Iowa residents.The state legislature will make the decision on how to spend the tobaccosettlement money during its next session.