The commission, which oversees distribution of proceeds from the state's share of the national tobacco settlement, plans to spend an additional $4.2 million on North Carolina's Youth Tobacco Prevention Initiative each year for the next three years. The initiative has already begun making grants, beefing up school-based prevention, and launched a radio ad campaign.

The decision is expected to get the state out of the American Lung Association's doghouse -- the group last year gave North Carolina and five other states failing grades for their antismoking efforts.