State health officials are developing plans to use state budget funding on tobacco and marijuana education and youth prevention work. Public comment gathered in two public meetings and an online survey that closes September 11 will help the agency finalize the plans. The state budget earmarks $14.5 million over two years for state Department of Health to conduct the project.

Initiative 502, which legalized limited possession and use of marijuana by Washington adults, requires that the funding be used for a marijuana-use public health hotline, statewide outreach including contracts with local health and other community organizations, and a statewide media-based education and youth prevention campaign.

The legislation allocating the funding also requires that part of the money be used to bolster existing funding for the agency’s tobacco prevention and control work.

About $1 million of the annual total of $7.25 million is planned for the tobacco work; the remainder goes for marijuana education and youth prevention. An overview of the draft spending plan is posted online.

The draft plan includes money for coordinated statewide intervention strategies to reduce and prevent marijuana use by youth and designates funding for cross-cultural and tribal agencies. A media-based education and youth prevention ad campaign will build on the previous campaigns using a wide range of venues including radio, online digital media, print, and television.