Summary: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Oklahoma spend $45.0 million a year to have an effective, comprehensive tobacco prevention program.  Oklahoma currently receives $19.1 million a year for tobacco prevention and cessation, which includes both state and federal funds.  This is 42.4% of the CDC's recommendation and ranks Oklahoma 13th among the states in the funding of tobacco prevention programs.  Oklahoma's spending on tobacco prevention amounts to 4.4% of the estimated $430 million in tobacco-generated revenue the state collects each year from settlement payments and tobacco taxes.

Recent Developments: Oklahoma's tobacco settlement funds are governed by a constitutional amendment, passed by Oklahoma voters in 2000, which established a Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). Under the measure, the amount of tobacco settlement payments deposited into the endowment, from which only interest can be spent on certain broadly specified programs including health, education and tobacco prevention, has increased from 50 percent in 2001 to75 percent in 2007 and each year thereafter. The TSET Board of Directors determines how to allocate all earnings from the endowment. The Legislature makes appropriation decisions for the remaining 25 percent of settlement payments.

For FY2009, Oklahoma is projected to allocate $18.0 million in state funds and $1.09 in federal funds for a total of $19.1 in dedicated tobacco control funding. These funds will be used for tobacco prevention programs, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, and establishment of the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center.