The Philanthropy News Network Online reported Dec. 2 that the gap between state tobacco prevention spending and tobacco advertising is growing, according to a report from a group of public-health organizations. The report, "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement Seven Years Later," says that while states will spend about $551 million on prevention in 2006, tobacco companies are spending $15.4 billion on cigarette and smokeless-tobacco advertising.

The report was prepared by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and American Lung Association.

According to the report, only Maine, Colorado, Delaware, and Mississippi are funding prevention in line with the recommendations made by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). States would need to spend just 7.5 percent of their tobacco-settlement revenues to meet the CDC targets, the report said.

Overall, states are spending 26.5 percent less on tobacco prevention now than they did in 2002.