In the spring of 2007, a number of long time North Dakota tobacco control advocates met to discuss the status of North Dakota's public policy and public expenditures related to tobacco control and prevention. This meeting was initiated because, over the past several years, North Dakota, once a national leader in tobacco control, had stopped its foreword progress in preventing tobacco related diseases. The advocates discussed a number of options for enhancing and improving North Dakota's tobacco prevention efforts. Recognizing the increased dollars coming to North Dakota as a result of the strategic contribution fund payments, the increased resources made available to water development and education through increased oil extraction tax revenues and North Dakota's growing budget surplus, the advocates reasoned that North Dakota was in a unique position to save lives by initiating and implementing a comprehensive tobacco control program as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.)

 

Once it was decided that the highest priority for these advocates would be promoting the implementation of a comprehensive CDC-based program, the question became: How can this be accomplished? In the nine years since the tobacco settlement was signed, tobacco advocates in North Dakota have attempted to convince the North Dakota Legislature to use tobacco settlement dollars to fully fund a CDC-based tobacco control program. Those efforts were unsuccessful even though public opinion polls revealed that North Dakota’s citizens strongly believe that tobacco settlement dollars should be used for tobacco control. Based on these experiences, the advocates believe that the North Dakota Legislature would never fully fund an effective tobacco prevention and control program. 

 

Every year that North Dakota goes without a CDC-based program, more of our young people initiate the life-threatening habit of smoking and tobacco use and more of our adult smokers die from smoking-related diseases. Rather than relying on the Legislature to do the right thing, we believe this issue is best left in the hands of the people of North Dakota. As a result, the tobacco prevention measure was drafted and will be on the November 4, 2008 general election ballot as MEASURE 3.