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Tobacco use has had a devastating effect on the health of Maryland’s citizens, particularly on minority populations. Maryland is among the states leading the nation in cancer incidence and mortality. In 1998, The Maryland Annual Cancer Report revealed that race-specific mortality rates for all cancers were higher throughout the State for African-Americans compared to Caucasians. These dismal facts prompted the commitment of a significant portion of the monies from the Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco manufacturers to create and support the Maryland’s Cigarette Restitution Fund Program (CRFP). CRFP, a program designed to focus on mitigating the impact of tobacco use on the health of Maryland’s citizens, was codified in legislation in 2000. The Maryland General Assembly committed to the concept of long term funding for this program, which is united by an integrated public health model: prevention, research and community health care.
The State of Maryland was one of 46 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia, to benefit from the 1999 multi-state lawsuit against the cigarette manufacturers. Subsequently, Governor Parris N. Glendening and Maryland General Assembly established the multi-million dollar Cigarette Restitution Fund (CRF) to distribute funds throughout the State for smoking cessation programs and education, cancer research, prevention, education, screening and treatment, tobacco crop conservation assistance, and other cancer-related activities.
A major component of the CRF was the creation of the Statewide Academic Health Center grant, through which cancer research funds for the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins were appropriated. Grant funds under this initiative support translational research and are aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality due to the seven targeted cancers- breast, cervical, colon, lung, melanoma, oral and prostate- in Maryland.
The other major component of the Statewide Academic Health Center Grant program makes funds available to the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins through the Baltimore City Public Health Grant to be used for cancer prevention, education, screening and treatment. |
