Battling Tobacco in the Mountain State

While it labors with one of the highest percentage of smokers and "dippers" in the country, West Virginia reports inroads in reducing tobacco use, The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports.

"State data shows a decline in the adult smoking rate for four consecutive years, the first time such a drop has been recorded," Breen found. "The drop in underage smoking has been more dramatic. From 2000 to 2005, the smoking rate among high school students dropped from 38.5 percent to 27.8 percent."

This "despite a roughly $21 million gap between what the state spends on prevention and what the federal government recommends," Breen reports.

"Roughly 4,000 West Virginians die every year from tobacco-related causes, while direct health costs stemming from tobacco annually cost the state roughly $1 billion, according to figures from the state Department of Health and Human Resources," the AP article said.