Press Release: Heitkamp Announces Significant Federal Funding for Tobacco Prevention

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced nearly $914,000 in federal funding to support statewide efforts to prevent tobacco use.

These funds, awarded to the North Dakota Department of Health, will be used to support its Tobacco Prevention and Control program, which includes information for schools and health care providers, programs to help North Dakotans quit smoking, data collection and trainings.

“Over the past several decades, the devastating health effects caused by tobacco use have become more and more clear,” said Heitkamp. “As North Dakota’s Attorney General in the 1990s, I led the charge to hold tobacco companies responsible for what their products were doing to North Dakotans, so I understand the importance of investing in tobacco prevention efforts and providing resources to help folks quit smoking. These funds will help the North Dakota Department of Health continue its great work to stop tobacco use and help make sure the next generation of North Dakotans are tobacco-free.”

While Attorney General, Heitkamp helped to broker an agreement between 46 states and the tobacco industry, which forced the tobacco industry to tell the truth about smoking and health. The settlement resulted in the award of about $336 million to North Dakota taxpayers to date and was one of the largest civil settlements in U.S. history.

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