CHICAGO (WBBM) - 10 years ago, the tobacco industry began paying Illinois and other states billions of dollars in a lawsuit settlement, with the money intended for anti-smoking programs.
But, now, an anti-smoking group says the states' promises have gone up in smoke.
On the 10th anniversary of the $246 billion settlement, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids has done an analysis of where the money's been going.
The group's Danny McGoldrick says only 9 states are funding tobacco prevention programs at even half the recommended federal level.
Illinois, he says, is near the bottom of the list. It ranks 43rd, spending just $9.5 million dollars of its $900 million share of the settlement on smoking prevention programs this year.
The Campaign calls it a decade of broken promises as states used their tobacco industry money on everything but anti-smoking programs.
On the Net: www.tobaccofreekids.org
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