MONTPELIER, Vt. -
A new study ranks Vermont in the top 10 states for smoking prevention but says the state needs to do more.
The national report says Vermont spends $4 million a year on anti-tobacco programs, falling short of the $10.4 million recommended by the CDC.
The report says in Vermont each year, 700 kids start smoking, 800 adults die from smoking, and health care costs from smoking top $233 million.
The CDC says of the $127 million Vermont collects in tobacco settlement and taxes this year, only three percent will be spent on anti-tobacco programs.
Meanwhile, tobacco companies spend nearly $17 million a year here, four times what the state spends on prevention.
