From mid 2001 through mid 2004, the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas, with first the American Lung Association and then the American Cancer Society as the lead organization, conducted statewide activities to reduce tobacco use, particularly among children and youth.

The project was part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) national program SmokeLess States®.

Key Results
Among the results of the project are the following:

• Arkansas increased its cigarette excise tax from 34 to 59 cents per pack.
• Arkansas made headway in establishing smoke-free communities and facilities: Highfill, Fayetteville and Texarkana passed smoke-free workplace ordinances. Little Rock International Airport, the War Memorial Stadium, the Little Rock Zoo and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences implemented smoke-free policies.

Funding
RWJF provided $1,179,496 for this project. Arkansas also received two grants from the program's Special Opportunities Grant Fund. Other sources — including the Arkansas Department of Health and the American Cancer Society — contributed $945,000 to support lobbying and other activities; no RWJF funds were used to support lobbying. (See Appendix 1 for a list of additional funders.)