Hillsborough County SWAT

SWAT In The News

Students Working Against Tobacco

HUGE STORY AT
http://www.weeklyplanet.com/2003-08-28/cover.html
MAKE SURE YOU READ IT! COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER!!!
ITS WORTH READING!!!!!

Smoking suit dropped amid funding promises 
Source: St. Petersburg (FL) Times, 2003-06-12
Author: ADRIENNE LU
Intro: The Tampa lawyer who filed suit against Gov. Jeb Bush over cuts in the state's anti-smoking program for youths has withdrawn it after assurances that more money will be pumped into the effort. 
Steven Yerrid, who was on the legal team that represented the state in its landmark tobacco settlement in 1997, said Wednesday he is abandoning the lawsuit after discussions with legislative leaders, Attorney General Charlie Crist and other state officials. 
The lawsuit, filed last week in Hillsborough Circuit Court, sought to force the state to restore money to the anti-smoking program. The Legislature cut the budget for the program from $39-million this year to $1-million in the spending year that starts July 1. Bush had recommended the program receive $39-million, and he pledged to find a way to restore the money.

Lawsuit: Restore anti-tobacco funds 
The suit against Gov. Bush says budget cuts will decimate the youth anti-smoking program.
Source: St. Petersburg (FL) Times, 2003-06-06
Author: ADRIENNE LU
Intro: A lawyer from the "dream team" that helped win Florida's $11-billion settlement with the tobacco industry teamed up with an 18-year-old anti-smoking advocate Thursday to sue Gov. Jeb Bush. 
Tampa attorney Steven Yerrid and Joseph Scarfone, a recent graduate of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, say the Legislature's decision last week to allocate only $1-million to the state program to prevent youths from smoking is a breach of the landmark 1997 tobacco settlement. The program got $39-million in the current fiscal year. 
The lawsuit asks the courts to compel the governor to direct the Legislature to discuss tobacco prevention in the special session scheduled to begin June 16 and to restore funding to the program. 
The plaintiffs allege the budget cuts will essentially gut the anti-tobacco program . . . 
The suit, filed in Hillsborough Circuit Court, calls the cuts "a shortsighted, immoral and economically foolish endeavor." It asks the court to declare the appropriations bill unconstitutional and makes note of the $948-million the federal government has said it will give to the state for tax relief. 
The suit says that under the settlement "Gov. Bush and the state of Florida are contractually bound to use a part of the ongoing tobacco revenue stream to fund anti-tobacco programs" aimed at youth smoking.

Yerrid Announces Lawsuit Filed Against Gov. Bush and State to Force Continuation of Florida's Celebrated Youth Anti-Smoking Program 
Source: Business Wire, 2003-06-06
Intro: In a lawsuit filed this week in circuit court, trial attorney Steve Yerrid of Tampa and a Pasco County teen are asking the courts to force Gov. Jeb Bush to live up to the terms of the state's landmark 1997 Big Tobacco settlement and fully fund needed anti-tobacco campaigns. 
A leading campaign, called Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) and part of the Florida Tobacco Control Program, will be devastated by the total tobacco prevention budget cut from $39 million a year to just $1 million, effectively shutting it down for the next 12 months despite tremendous successes in the fight against teen smoking. 
The lawsuit was filed by Yerrid and youth smoking prevention activist Joe Scarfone, 18, of Pasco County. Yerrid was a member of Florida's "dream team" of People's Trial Advocates that won the landmark settlement against the nation's largest and most powerful tobacco companies.

Student against tobacco lose state funds 
Source: Leesburg (FL) Daily Commercial, 2003-06-06
Author: MICHELLE L. START / Daily Commercial Staff Writer
Intro: Since the inception of a club called Students Working Against Tobacco, the use of tobacco products among teens in Lake and Sumter Counties has decreased significantly. But now, due to a lack in funding, that club may go by the wayside. 
During the legislative special session that ended May 27, the club's statewide funding was reduced from $38 million to $1 million. Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Department of Health had requested $39 million for the 2003-2004 fiscal year. . . 
Earlier this week, the Florida Department of Health announced results from the 2002 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey showing the percentage of middle school students who were current smokers decreased 50 percent and the percentage of high school students who were current smokers dropped 35 percent from 1998 to 2002.

Anti-tobacco program layoffs begin 
Source: Orlando (FL) Business Journal, 2003-06-09
Intro: The Florida Department of Health has begun sending out layoff notices to its anti-tobacco program staff due to funding cuts.
The Florida Legislature cut funding for the Florida Tobacco Control Program from $39.1 million to just $1 million for fiscal year 2003-2004. 
It is eliminating 19 positions in Tallahassee effective June 30. It's unknown at this time how many other positions are being eliminated in county health departments across the state

MORE AT http://www.tobacco.org

WE ARE NOT AGAINST SMOKERS,
WE ARE AGAINST BIG TOBACCO!

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