I am writing to urge you to protect our children from smoking, by using tobacco settlement money to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs at the minimum level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As a member of a religious faith I fully support the efforts that are currently being taken by many denominations to combat youth smoking. Faith communities have long played a critical role in addressing the nations social challenges, especially in protecting children. That’s why helping to reduce tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of disease in the United States is a natural extension of these efforts.

I understand that the state budget is very tight, but as you know, tobacco use prevention programs saves lives and also reduces health care costs.

Studies have shown that every $1 spent on tobacco prevention can save up to $3 in health costs caused by smoking. Government expenditures for health care costs related to smoking-caused illnesses will cost each family in America $525 in increased taxes this year alone.

These programs not only reduce smoking and save lives, but also save up to three dollars for every dollar spent by reducing smoking-caused health care costs.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 Americans every year and causing more than $155 billion in health care costs and lost productivity.

These are the issues that you should be using settlement funds to address.

This year, more than 750,000 of our kids will become regular smokers. That is 750,000 kids too many. Please do the right thing and fund programs that will save our kids from Big Tobacco companies. Our children are counting on you.