Summary: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that California spend $441.9 million a year to have an effective, comprehensive tobacco prevention program.  California currently receives $78.1 million a year for tobacco prevention and cessation, which includes both state and federal funds.  This is 17.7% of the CDC's recommendation and ranks California 31st among the states in the funding of tobacco prevention programs.  California's spending on tobacco prevention amounts to 4.3% of the estimated $1.82 billion in tobacco-generated revenue the state collects each year from settlement payments and tobacco taxes.

Recent Developments: California has the oldest and one of the most successful tobacco prevention programs in the country. In 1988, California voters approved Proposition 99, a ballot initiative that increased the state cigarette tax by 25 cents a pack and earmarked 20 percent of the revenue for a tobacco prevention program. California launched its Tobacco Control Program in the spring of 1990.

Funding for California's program components changes based on the amount of revenue generated from the state's tobacco tax.  Combined with funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, total spending on tobacco prevention and cessation in FY2009 will be $78.1 million, about the same amount that was spent in FY2008.