U.S. State and Local Issues

Spending on Tobacco Prevention: Alaska

Last updated December 03, 2012

  FY2013 FY2012
State Rank 1 1
State Spending on Tobacco Prevention $10.9 million $10.8 million
% of CDC Recommended Spending
($10.7 million)		 101.6% 101.3%

Summary: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Alaska spend $10.7 million a year to have an effective, comprehensive tobacco prevention program.  Alaska currently allocates $10.9 million a year for tobacco prevention and cessation.  This is 101.6% of the CDC’s recommendation and ranks Alaska 1st among the states in the funding of tobacco prevention programs.  Alaska’s spending on tobacco prevention amounts to 10.5% of the estimated $103 million in tobacco-generated revenue the state collects each year from settlement payments and tobacco taxes.

Background and Recent Developments: Under laws passed in 2001 and 2004, Alaska annually sets aside 20 percent of its tobacco settlement money and a small portion of its cigarette tax revenue for tobacco prevention programs. These funds are held in the Tobacco Use Education and Cessation Fund and must be appropriated each year by the Legislature in order to be used for tobacco control purposes.  

In FY2013, the state will spend $10.9 million on tobacco prevention and cessation, about the same amount that was spent in FY2012.

In addition, Alaska is receiving $1.1 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a 12-month grant for the period beginning April 2012 (from annual appropriations).