Gov. Baldacci is to be commended for his commitment to restore the $4.6 million in cuts to the Fund for a Healthy Maine that was made last year.

I would now ask the Legislature to restore this money.

The tobacco industry is refusing to make settlement payments to some states, Maine being one of them. In order to make sure that the Fund for a Healthy Maine programs are not affected, the Legislature should approve a bridge loan to the FHM until the dispute is settled.

We rely on these funds to continue our tobacco programs. Currently, I am conducting an Alternative to Suspension/Fines for Youth Tobacco Offenders. I conduct bi-monthly smoking cessations for our community members who are seeking assistance in their quit attempts. I am also the youth coordinator for River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition in Rumford.

As a youth coordinator, I facilitate high school advocacy groups that focus on tobacco, physical activity and nutrition. The youth who are involved are passionate about their work and strive to help others. They educate the elementary students through presentations and fun activities about the harmful effects of tobacco use, and they also educate younger students as well as their peers on the effects of advertisements and whom the tobacco companies are really targeting.

We need these programs in our community. The education about tobacco is important for people considering quitting. When the time comes that they are ready to quit, will we be there?

Stephanie Thompson, Rumford