THE TENNESSEAN | On December 13th the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids released its annual report “Broken Promises to Our Kids,” which evaluates how states address the “enormous health problems caused by tobacco use in the United States.”

One of the key metrics is funding, and I’m proud to report that – after many years of stagnant or declining funding – Tennessee has risen in the rankings, spending $6.2 million on tobacco prevention and cessation for 2018.

Governor Haslam and Health Commissioner Dreyzehner take the health and well-being of Tennesseans seriously, and have made a commendable investment in tackling what is the leading cause of preventable death in our state and nationwide