Health advocates argue that it's because North Dakota refuses to spend its share of the national tobacco settlement on anti-smoking campaigns. While we do spend 10 percent of whatever money we get on public health, the rest goes to schools and water projects. In other words, we advertise the dangers of smoking. But while public health is one of the more important items in a state's budget, there are many legitimate contenders for whatever public money, little things like roads and schools and such.
Tobacco smoking is bad for our health, no doubt about it.
Nobody wants kids to start a habit that could dog them for the rest of their life. So, we spend about a million dollars on tobacco prevention with the hopes that young people don't start smoking.