State ponders how to spend tobacco funds

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- State officials are considering how to spend the earnings from an 88 million dollar fund created by the national tobacco settlement. <br><br>Tobacco cessation programs and research

Sunday, August 25th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- State officials are considering how to spend the earnings from an 88 million dollar fund created by the national tobacco settlement.

Tobacco cessation programs and research about cancer and other tobacco-related diseases are among the ways the earnings may be spent.

The fund earned 1.4 million dollars in fiscal year 2002. After administrative costs, it would have about seven-hundred thousand dollars to spend each year on health care and other programs.

Since the tobacco settlement in 1998, Oklahoma has received 227 million dollars. It will receive an estimated two billion dollars over the next 25 years.

The trust fund received 50% of the state's allocation in 2001.