Washington State Marijuana and tobacco education and youth prevention spending strategy

http://www.doh.wa.gov/Newsroom/2015NewsReleases/15163MarijuanaEducationDraftSpendingPlanNews Release



http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/8380/MarijuanaEducationSpendingProposal.pdf
For immediate release: September 1, 2015 (15-163)

Contacts: Donn Moyer, Office of Healthy Communities 360-236-4076

Marqise Allen, Communications Office 360-236-4072

Marijuana and tobacco education and youth prevention spending strategy
Online survey gives state residents opportunity to comment on draft marijuana/tobacco plan

OLYMPIA -- State health
officials are developing plans to use state budget funding on tobacco
and marijuana education and youth prevention work. Public comment
gathered in two public meetings and an online survey that closes September 11 will help the agency finalize the plans.

The state budget earmarks $14.5 million
over two years for state Department of Health to conduct the project.
Initiative 502, which legalized limited possession and use of marijuana
by Washington adults, requires that the funding be used for a
marijuana-use public health hotline, statewide outreach including
contracts with local health and other community organizations, and a
statewide media-based education and youth prevention campaign.

The legislation allocating the funding
also requires that part of the money be used to bolster existing funding
for the agency's tobacco prevention and control work. About $1 million
of the annual total of $7.25 million is planned for the tobacco work;
the remainder goes for marijuana education and youth prevention. An overview of the draft spending plan is posted online.

The draft plan includes money for
coordinated statewide intervention strategies to reduce and prevent
marijuana use by youth and designates funding for cross-cultural and
tribal agencies. A media-based education and youth prevention ad
campaign will build on the previous campaigns using a wide range of venues including radio, online digital media, print, and television.

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