Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Agency Wants Most Of The Money From Settlement

The Arkansas Association of Area Agencies on Aging has asked the state's lenders to consider the elderly when deciding on how to spend funds from the tobacco settlement.

In the proposal submitted to Dr. Fay Boozman, director of the Arkansas Department of Health, the Area Agencies on Aging point out more than 94 percent of smoking-related deaths are among the 50 and older age group; and more than 70 percent are among the 65 and older age group.

The top three causes of death among Arkansas, aged 65 and over, are associated with tobacco and environmental tobacco use. Heart diseases, cancer and stroke resulted in the deaths of more than 13,000 Arkansas in this age group in 1996.

These diseases are typically associated with pain, suffering, disability and extensive care needs. Care for smoking victims is costly and it would be a much higher public health burden without the commitment and sacrifices of family care givers.

The proposal submitted by the Area Agencies on Aging requests about $7 million each year to be used to establish positive aging/health and wellness centers in each of the 75 Arkansas counties, about $10 million each year to provide respite care to assist family care givers who are taking care of elderly persons who are suffering from tobacco related diseases and $167,000 the first year to expand 'Aging Arkansas,' a statewide health and wellness newspaper directed to elderly Arkansas.

This national award winning publication has a current monthly circulation of 38,000.

Arkansas is expected to receive approximately $1.6 billion dollars, over a 25 year period in tobacco settlement funds.

According to David Sneed, Executive Director of Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas, Inc., the Association's proposal is modest in light of current needs and the expected growth of the elderly population in Arkansas.

Sneed said, "Thousands of older Arkansans are now on waiting lists because funds are not available to provide the services they need. The tobacco settlement provides the opportunity to address current service shortages and prepare for the significant growth expected in the elderly population."

Florida, Alabama, Michigan and Nevada have already enacted legislation directing a part of their tobacco settlement funds to services for the elderly. According to the center for social gerontology in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska and New Jersey appear likely to allocate funds for elderly services from the tobacco settlement.