On August 25, 1997, Governor Lawton Chiles successfully negotiated for the state of Florida a landmark $11.3 billion settlement with the tobacco industry (later renegotiated to $13 billion).  This settlement includes the toughest prohibitions ever imposed on advertising and marketing tobacco products to children and teens.  The funds are to be paid over the next 25 years.

The agreement requires that all cigarette advertising billboards in the state be eliminated.  All tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet of Florida schools in banned, as are tobacco ads in sports arenas, kiosks & mass transit stations, including trains.

The settlement money was earmarked for children’s health programs and an ambitious counter-marketing campaign.  The first effort funded was the Florida Pilot Program on Tobacco Control, a $200 million program aimed at reducing use of tobacco products by persons under the age of 18

The goals of the program are:

• Change Youth and Community Attitudes About Tobacco Use
• Increase Youth Empowerment through Community Involvement
• Reduce the Accessibility and Availability of Tobacco Products to Youth
• Reduce Youth Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Change Attitudes Toward Tobacco Use Among Youth in Non-Traditional Settings