Hawai'i

Summary: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Hawaii spend $15.2 million a year to have an effective, comprehensive tobacco prevention program. Hawaii currently receives $8.8 million a year for tobacco prevention and cessation, which includes both state and federal funds. This is 58.1% of the CDC's recommendation and ranks Hawaii 7th among the states in the funding of tobacco prevention programs. Hawaii's spending on tobacco prevention amounts to 5.2% of the estimated $171 million in tobacco-generated revenue the state collects each year from settlement payments and tobacco taxes.

Recent Developments: Hawaii's tobacco prevention programs are funded with federal, state and trust fund dollars. The dollars received through the master settlement with the tobacco industry by law will become the tobacco settlement special fund. A portion of this fund is used by the Department of Health for health promotion and chronic disease prevention programs, including tobacco control programs. Another portion is deposited into the Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund which provides funding for activities such as the Hawaii Quitline, media campaigns and community intervention grants.

The FY2010 budget enacted includes $7.9 million for the tobacco program, less than the $10.5 million that the state spent on tobacco prevention and cessation in FY2009. Combined with funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, total spending on tobacco prevention and cessation for FY2010 will be $8.8 million.