Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §272, sub-§3 is enacted to read:

1.__Development of statewide smoking cessation program.__The department shall develop, implement and maintain a smoking cessation program that offers treatment services and resources on a statewide basis, trains and certifies tobacco cessation specialists and integrates smoking cessation into the health care and substance abuse treatment systems.__The program must:

A.__Address the needs of all smokers, especially teenage smokers;

B.__Use nationally recognized standards for treatment services and the qualifications of__tobacco cessation specialists.__Treatment services must include behavioral counseling and cessation-specific pharmacotherapy available at least through workplaces, schools, health coverage plans, health providers' offices, hospitals and community health centers;

C.__Provide professional education programs for health professionals, specialist training and certification, treatment and resource development, systems integration, policy development, program monitoring and evaluation and research; and

D.__Include the promotion of workplace policies that encourage smoking cessation and minimize barriers to cessation.

Sec. 2. Report. By January 1, 2000, the Department of Human Services shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters on its progress in establishing a statewide smoking cessation program pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 272, subsection 3, including in the report any additional legislation required to establish the program. The committee may report all legislation based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 119th Legislature.

Sec. 3. Funding smoking cessation programs. The Department of Human Services shall fund the smoking cessation program developed as described in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 272, subsection 3 with 1/4 of all new funding over $3.5 million received by the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

SUMMARY