(FinalCall.com) --Black neighborhoods continue to be shortchanged billions of dol-lars from the tobacco settlement. The question now is: How long will local and elected Black leaders allow this injustice against our communities to continue?

Although much of the Master Agreement Settlement (MSA) monies gained from the tobacco industry were based on factual reports of Blacks having higher incidences of smoking and greater needs for group specific health provisions, Black-oriented groups and programs are not in the loop.

The MSA freed cigarette makers from claims for reimbursement to the states for the cost of treating sick smokers. As part of the agreement, cigarette companies agreed to lay to rest Joe Camel and any other cartoon mascots, end outdoor advertising, pay for youth anti-smoking campaigns, limit industry lobbying and disband tobacco trade associations.

Three years since cigarette makers landmark settlement with the states over costs associated with treating sick smokers, less than 10 percent of the money is earmarked for anti-smoking programs, meaning the nation�s 47 million smokers who are financing the agreement are not getting help to break their habits. Meanwhile, tobacco companies� earnings are up; lawyers are collecting billions in fees, growers are getting half the settlement proceeds in tobacco growing states and settlement funds are being used for everything from tax rebates to water projects.

The vast majority of states are not spending even the minimum amount needed to put in place effective and comprehensive tobacco prevention programs. Chief law enforcement officers from 46 states signed the agreement with the major manufacturers of cigarettes in 1998. The $246 billion is to reimburse the states for past costs associated with taking care of sick smokers under Medicaid. Over the past three years, state legislatures have debated how best to use the settlement. Thus far, over $8.2 billion of the $246 billion settlement has been appropriated by 44 states.

In 2000, legislators introduced more than 558 bills and enacted 91 relating to allocation of the funds. Forty-one states have earmarked $3.5 billion, or 43.2 percent of the total, on health care services, the settlement monies� top recipient. The second-leading category is "other uses," with $1.4 billion, or 16.7 percent. Tobacco prevention programs are third, with 35 states planning to spend $754 million, or 9.2 percent, in that category. Tobacco growers are slated to receive the fourth highest amount, as farmers in seven states share $537 million, or 6.6 percent of the total.

If leaders of Black communities across America checked to see how many millions of dollars they are currently due, they�d be at statehouses tomorrow demanding to know: "What happened to our money from the t obacco settlement?"

To add insult to injury, a number of states have enacted new cigarette excise tax legislation. To gain justice for our communities, shouldn�t local leaders be concerned about our share of both the old and new monies? When Congress debated the original bill, the Congressional Black Caucus� working group on tobacco, said, "We must position the minority community so it benefits proportionately from a tobacco bill."

At the same time, Jeanette Noltenius of the Latino Council on Alcohol said: "Every tax dollar that is raised in the minority community should go back to minority communities."

Not enough of MSA monies are coming to our neighborhoods.

The issue of how tobacco settlement funds should, and can, be helping us is one we should be pursuing with vigor at every level of our communities.

Local leaders should contact groups, such as the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (www.naatpn.org) or call 919-233-7733 and the South Carolina African American Tobacco Control Network (www.scaatcn.org) or call 843-871-9439, which are dedicated to facilitating development and implementation of comprehensive and culturally competent tobacco prevention and control initiatives to benefit Black communities.