Attorney General Announces $27 Million Windfall for Connecticut's Leadership in Tobacco Fight
For Immediate Release
Date: 5/17/07
Contact: Tara Stapleton or Christopher Hoffman 860-808-5324
Hartford, Conn. - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced the state will receive an unbudgeted $27 million windfall this year, and more in the future, because of Connecticut’s key leadership in the tobacco litigation.
In a letter to legislative leaders, Blumenthal said Connecticut will receive an additional $27 million a year in payments from the national tobacco settlement – above and beyond the $110 million a year that the state already receives under the settlement.
The extra payments, for 10 years, are allocated to states based on their roles in the tobacco litigation. Connecticut will receive the fifth highest share in recognition of Blumenthal’s early and active leadership in suing Big Tobacco – and his key role in the successful settlement.
“This money marks an extraordinary moment for potential public health progress,” Blumenthal said. “Our state must seize this historic opportunity to make Connecticut as much a leader in smoking prevention and cessation as we were in tobacco litigation. Connecticut should do more to counteract the continuing contemptible campaign to lure our children into lifetimes of addiction and disease. Big Tobacco has a $13 billion advertising budget – demanding sustained struggle to save our children.”
Jerold Mande of the Connecticut Cancer Partnership said, “Because of the Attorney General’s leadership, we are finally forcing big tobacco to pay for the enormous health costs its products cause in Connecticut, and to help reduce those costs in the future. Last year, the legislature spent less than $10 million of the $106 million it received from the tobacco companies to combat tobacco and cancer. I join Attorney General Blumenthal in urging the legislature to do more with the new tobacco dollars to prevent our kids from becoming addicted to nicotine, to help those who smoke quit, and to do more to help Connecticut’s cancer patients and their families, including the thousands who will be diagnosed with a tobacco-related cancer this year and the thousands who will die because of tobacco if we don’t do more.”
Despite Connecticut’s leadership in the tobacco litigation and settlement, the state ranks 36th among all states in spending settlement dollars on tobacco prevention, cessation and education programs. Blumenthal said the state should use a significant portion of this extra $27 million for such vital programs.
The Federal Trade Commission’s 2007 Cigarette Report found that tobacco companies spend more than $13 billion annually for advertising and promotion.
The unexpected bonus is included in neither the governor’s nor the Appropriations Committee’s budget.