Become a Member! (click here) Expanding Access to Health Care Services: NH Healthy Families Campaign One in every four deaths in New Hampshire is tobacco related: some 2,000 deaths each year. New Hampshire Citizens Alliance (NHCA) has joined statewide efforts to tackle this serious public health problem. As part of a $1.16 million Smokeless States grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NHCA is working to build the capacity of the Smoke Free NH Alliance (SFNHA) to conduct policy and citizen-based advocacy. SFNHA is a broad coalition of health organizations and advocates working together to: Reduce tobacco use, particularly among young people. Increase the amount of its tobacco settlement funds that NH spends on tobacco prevention and control, from $1.5 million to at least the $10.8 million minimum recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Increase the tobacco excise tax to reduce smoking rates. Pass local smoke-free dining ordinances and, ultimately, a statewide smoke-free dining law. One of SFNHA's initiatives is the NH Healthy Families Campaign. In 2001, the American Cancer Society, New Hampshire Citizens Alliance for Action, the New Hampshire Lung Association, New Hampshire Medical Society and other health organizations and advocates joined forces in a regional campaign to raise the tobacco excise tax by 50 cents in each of the six New England states. The goal was to put the revenue from that increase toward strengthening tobacco control and prevention initiatives and programs that would expand access to health care. In 2002, NH legislators voted to reject the $0.50 increase. In 2003, NH's coalition will work to pass a $1.00 increase in the tobacco tax. This increase would: Raise more than $150 million. Increase the funding to tobacco prevention and control programs to CDC- recommended levels. Provide much-needed funding to increase access to health care services and prescription drugs. The NH Healthy Families Campaign is a first step toward building new alliances between the health care access community, health care providers and tobacco control advocates. We encourage all groups and individuals that care about these health issues to join the Campaign and to sign onto a written resolution to raise the tobacco excise tax in NH.