Study: NC Doesn't Spend Enough On Tobacco Prevention

A recent analysis by anti-smoking advocates suggests North Carolina isn't spending nearly enough money on tobacco prevention programs.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and its partners released the study, which compares how much each state spends on anti-tobacco programming.

North Carolina ranked 43rd in the nation, a small jump up, spending $2.1 million this year.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend spending roughly 50 times that amount.

While traditional cigarette smoking is at an all-time low among adults, the report still suggests more than 14,000 people die each year in North Carolina due to smoking.

Advocates say increasing funding for tobacco cessation hotlines, reducing the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, and more aggressive warning labels could all help reduce smoking deaths in the U.S.