Executive Summary:
The purpose of the Kentucky Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Status Report 2004 is to describe tobacco use and policy patterns in the Commonwealth and local health department service areas from 1996 to 2003. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in Kentucky and the U.S. Kentucky leads the nation in adult cigarette smoking prevalence and spends over 1billiondollarseachyeartreatingsicksmokers.AlthoughtheCommonwealthofKentuckyisnotmakingprogressinreducingthepercentofadultsandpregnantwomenwhosmoke,thestateismovingforwardinreducingyouthtobaccouse,reducingyouthaccesstotobaccoproducts,adoptinglocalvoluntarysmokeβfreepolicies,andprovidingcessationprograms.Injustoneyear,thepercentofsmokeβfreefoodestablishmentsinthestateincreasedfrom39.6TheKentuckyDepartmentforPublicHealth(KDPH)TobaccoPreventionandCessationProgramsupportslocalhealthdepartmentsinimplementingcomprehensivecommunityβbasedprogramsthataddressthefourCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)goalstoreducetobaccouseandtheassociatedhealthrisks.TheCDCgoalsareto(a)preventinitiationoftobaccousebyyouthandyoungadults;(b)promotecessation;(c)reduceexposuretosecondhandsmoke;and(d)identifyandeliminatedisparitiesamongpopulationgroupsthataredisproportionatelyaffectedbytobaccouse.TheKentuckyTobaccoPreventionandCessationProgramhasdevelopedanAnnualPlanthatisbasedontheHealthyKentuckians2010goalstoreducetobaccouse.SinceFY2000β2002theKentuckyGeneralAssemblyallocated5.5 million biannually of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) monies to the Kentucky Department for Public Health for tobacco control (an average of .60percapita).ForFY2003,3.1 million was allocated for tobacco control, and 2.7millioninFY2004.TheCDCrecommendsthatKentuckyspendatleast6.42 per capita for comprehensive, evidence-based tobacco control. Since 2000, all local health departments have received funding to provide tobacco use prevention and cessation services. Prior to state MSA funding, ten local health departments received $60,000 per year from KDPH through a cooperative agreement with the CDC for comprehensive tobacco control. As of fiscal year 2004-2005, eight local health departments received additional CDC funds for tobacco prevention and cessation