The following editorial appeared Friday in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.

When state officials agreed to spend $27 million a year to curb teenage smoking, some questioned the wisdom. After all, couldn’t that money be better used in our schools or to improve our roads?

It was a legitimate question. Nevertheless, officials forged ahead with the plan because the money being spent was garnered from the settlement with Big Tobacco brokered by Christine Gregoire, who was then attorney general and is currently governor. But now, five years after committing the state to the tobacco prevention program, it looks like a very wise move. The program has been a success. The percentage of young people smoking cigarettes in Washington has decreased by almost half since the prevention program got off the ground in 2000, according to the 2004 Healthy Youth Survey. The percentage of youths smoking is at the lowest point since the state began tracking youth smoking in 1990.

According to the survey, the percentage of 12th-graders who smoke decreased from 35 percent in 1999 to 20 percent in 2004. The percentage of 10th-graders decreased from 25 percent in 1999 to 13 percent last year. The reduction in smoking in Washington was greater than the national average. Clearly, something is being done right. But it’s way too soon for the state to declare victory. The funding for this program must continue.

Getting people, particularly young people, to stop smoking saves lives and, ultimately, will reduce health-care costs for taxpayers. The state Department of Health estimates that the effort to curb smoking means there are 65,000 fewer teen smokers in Washington. Based on estimates that smokers average $16,000 more in lifetime health-care costs than non-smokers, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids calculates the smoking prevention campaign will save more than $1 billion in health-care costs. Gregoire vows to continue funding the prevention program at least at the same level in the hopes of making further progress. That, however, might be easier said than done as the remaining settlement money is still a temptation for some lawmakers. A big chunk of the cash has been raided over the past few years to plug holes in the budget.

We urge the Legislature to continue to take the long view and allocate adequate resources in the smoking prevention program.