A study by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) finds that tobacco sales in Massachusetts increased 3.2 percent last year, and the group blamed cutbacks in state-funded prevention programs for the setback, the Boston Globe reported April 11.

The study found that Massachusetts residents purchased an average of 44.1 packs of cigarettes in 2006, up from an average of 42.7 packs in 2005. It was just the second time since 1990 that annual cigarette sales increased in the state. Nationally, cigarette sales have continued to trend downward.

"The new data is more than a wake-up call; it's an alarm bell," said CTFK president Matthew Myers. "The impact of the cut in the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program is real and will have long-term consequences if not immediately reversed." Myers was meeting with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to urge him to restore funding for the program, cut from a high of $54.3 million in 2000 to as low as $2.5 million in 2004. Patrick's current budget proposal calls for spending $16 million on tobacco control.