The House Health and
Human Services (HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee is working NOW to finalize the
HHS appropriations proposal. This is a pivotal time. The House
leadership expects to have the House version of the budget approved in just a
few short weeks. There is no time to waste!
Future funding for tobacco-use prevention and cessation programs is at risk
since the Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) was eliminated in last year's
budget. The HWTF previously received 25 percent of the state's tobacco
settlement funds and provided dedicated funding for the state's tobacco
prevention and cessation programs. Tell
your representative to support recurring appropriations for these
critical programs.
While last year's budget permitted the Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) to allocate $17.3 million to tobacco prevention and cessation programs
for one year, this funding is currently non-recurring. The programs face
elimination by June 30 (in less than two months!) unless funding is renewed by
the General Assembly this year.
With the House budget deadline approaching and subcommittees working now to
prepare their proposals, now is the time for advocates to communicate with
their House members about the effectiveness of NC's current tobacco-use
prevention and cessation programs and the need to secure recurring funds of at least
$17.3 million to sustain current efforts to keep our youth from starting to
smoke.
Send
your customizable letter now!
To learn more contact Betsy Vetter: betsy.vetter@heart.org
You're the Cure North Carolina: American Heart Association's NC lobbying and advocacy team.
