No money would be allocated for smoking prevention activities from the Hawaii tobacco settlement special fund under a bill moving in the state House to deal with the state budget crisis.

Instead, the funding would be diverted to the state treasury.

House Bill 2887, introduced by House Speaker Calvin Say (D, St. Louis Heights-Wilhelmina), passed the House Finance Committee over heavy opposition and cleared the House on second reading. It is expected to be up for third reading this week.

The measure proposes transferring the tobacco prevention and control money to the state general fund for five years as of July 1. It also would require interest and earnings of the tobacco settlement special fund to be deposited in the state general fund.

Last year the Legislature pulled 25.5 percent into the state general fund from the Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund, leaving 6.5 percent for anti-smoking programs.

That vanishes in HB 2887, which would increase the state general fund amount to 32 percent.

“;Now is not the time to go backward,”; testified Dr. Ralph Shohet, director of cardiovascular research at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and president of the American Heart Association Oahu Metro board of directors.

“;The investment that the state currently makes in tobacco prevention and control is relatively small when compared to the returns on that investment,”; Shohet said in written testimony.

“;Alternatively, the cost of not continuing that investment will be enormous, both when measured in dollars and more importantly when measured in the lives affected both directly and indirectly by tobacco addiction.”;

Tobacco prevention programs are credited with reducing adult smoking prevalence to 15.4 percent, making Hawaii the fifth- lowest state in the nation for adult smoking. Smoking rates also have dropped to about 9.6 percent in high school youths.

But lawmakers have gradually reduced funding for tobacco prevention and control programs from about $10 million per year from 1999 through 2001 to $3.2 million this year as they siphoned the money for other purposes.

Shohet said, “;Hawaii's tobacco-control efforts are among the most successful health success stories in our islands' long history. Now is the time to stay committed, celebrate that success and see this journey of enlightenment through to its full fruition.”;