Budget cuts threaten state's anti-smoking efforts

For as long as he can remember, Anthony Gallucci, of Vancouver, Wash., was around smokers. His grandparents smoked, his mom smoked, and so did an uncle. As a teen, he, too, picked up the habit.

But after seeing his 4-year-old daughter imitate him smoking, using her hands to clasp a pretend cigarette, he knew it was time to quit.

"That's what really hit home," said Gallucci, a 26-year-old waiter and father of two. He knew that "If I don't do something soon ... they're going to be smokers, too."

So almost two months ago, he turned to the state's Quitline, a helpline for smokers that gave him information, advice and nicotine gum to help him through the cravings.

"I can call them anytime I need and they contact me kind of randomly; they keep in touch," Gallucci said. "They're truthful, supportive and provide the gum. It's really a great resource."

For almost a decade, the number of smokers in Washington declined to the point that last year, the state had the sixth-lowest rate in the country. Much of that is credited to the state's comprehensive program that supports the Quitline and other anti-smoking resources.

But the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program has been largely devastated by budget cuts this year, leaving prevention advocates worried that smoking rates in Washington will rise again.

"The situation is certainly disappointing, it's frustrating and it's a scary place we're in," said Lucy Culp, government-affairs director for the American Heart Association in Washington.

What has happened to the anti-smoking program is yet another example of the state's budget dilemma and how even largely successful programs have been left in precarious positions. The program now is budgeted for $15 million annually, compared with about $28.5 million in previous years. Over the next two years, the cuts mean less money going to schools, local governments and community organizations for tobacco programs. New media campaigns are suspended and the state's Quitline has cut back on its services.

Some of the deepest cuts are in public-awareness programs aimed at young people, including the "NoStankYou"campaign, whose television ads depict the more ghastly effects of smoking. No new ads will be produced this year.

Another campaign, called "Dear Me," features stories of real people in the process of quitting. While the commercials have been produced, there's no money to buy airtime.

"Those campaigns both worked on adults and kids," said Jeffrey Harris, director of the University of Washington's Health Promotion Research Center. They keep "kids from starting and get adults to stop."

Finally, the state's Quitline now provides nicotine gum only to low-income clients and only for four rather than eight weeks.

The free pieces of gum were especially helpful to Gallucci during the early weeks.

"They get you started," he said. "Gum is expensive. If I have to go out and buy it, it's less likely that I would use it."

Settlement money from a lawsuit against the tobacco industry provided the core funding for the state's tobacco prevention and control program in 2000.

Other funds, including the state's tobacco-tax money and federal funds, have also gone into the program's account.

But unless the Legislature replenishes it, the account will be largely drained by 2011. And Glenn Kuper, a spokesman from the state's Office of Financial Management, said it's unclear whether the program — or any others — will get additional funding in the next biennium budget

"This is a valuable program, but again we had to cut a lot of valuable programs in this budget," Kuper said.

Even with an aggressive program, there are still more than 700,000 adult smokers in the state, and advocates fear the cuts could drive those numbers up, similar to what happened when Florida and Massachusetts scaled back their anti-smoking programs.

"I can tell you that for the states that have severely cut back on tobacco prevention, you usually see an increase in smoking," said Tim Church, spokesman for the state's Department of Health. "This is important work for us: It saves lives and we save on health-care costs."

Marnette Federis: 206-464-2521 or mfederis@seattletimes.com