Gov. Parris Glendening has announced plans to use Maryland's share of the multibillion-dollar tobacco settlement to step up the state's efforts to fight smoking.

He proposed that Maryland spend $1 billion over the next decade on cancer research and anti-smoking campaigns -- from television commercials to free nicotine patches -- to make the state the leader in the anti-tobacco movement. Glendening, outlined plans to spend $300 million over the next decade on anti- smoking efforts such as media campaigns to keep young people from starting to smoke and free Smoke Enders classes and free nicotine patches to help confirmed smokers quit. He also said the state would try to help stop the very production of tobacco by spending $83.5 million on crop conversion for state farmers, who grow 8,000 acres of tobacco. And he said $100 million would go to anti-addiction programs for other substance abusers. Half the proposed spending -- $500 million -- would be used for cancer research, with most of the money going to the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University.

<< Prev	CIGoutlet.NET News Home	Next >>