One state legislator questions why her colleagues are spending so much time targeting smokers. The legislature plans to spend about 10-million dollars on an anti-smoking campaign targeted at teens. It’s part of a spending plan for the 55-million dollars Iowa will be paid this year by cigarette makers as part of a legal settlement. As the House passed a get-tough on teen smokers bill this week, Representative Teresa Garman, a republican from rural Ames, lectured her colleagues. Garman said the legislature is focusing its fight on the wrong substance. Garman says the focus needs to be on alcohol and drugs. Garman says legislators are putting far too much emphasis on targeting teen smokers, and not enough time trying to get kids to refrain from using alcohol and illegal drugs.Garman doubts anti-smoking ad campaigns or anti-smoking peer groups will keep kids from lighting up.
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