The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Tobacco use among Ohio teens last year was 22.2 percent, a 45 percent decrease from 1999, according to a state health study to be released early next week.

More than 1,200 high school students responded to the study conducted with the health department and the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention.

Last year, Ohio ranked fifth nationwide in youth smoking, with about 33 percent of teenagers saying they used tobacco. A 1999 study found 40.3 percent of teens used tobacco.

Advocates credit the work of antismoking programs such as "stand," part of the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation. "Stand" has nearly 1,200 teens directly involved in leadership roles, said Michael J. Renner, executive director of the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation.

Brandon Lester, 18, joined the program about 21/2 years ago and has been active on teen advisory panels and has spoken to youth and business groups.

Last summer, a seventh-grader walked up to Lester at a mall and hugged him, saying she was inspired by one of his talks.

"You can see there's a problem, but you don't know how to approach other teenagers. They give you ways to talk to other teens, or even adults," he told the Columbus Dispatch for a story Saturday.

Programs like "stand" are funded by the foundation's $330 million endowment created after the 46-state settlement with tobacco companies in 1998. The foundation spent about $38 million of the endowment on anti-smoking programs this year and plans to spend about the same amount next year.

The tobacco survey comes as lawmakers consider more cuts in antitobacco programs to ease budget problems.

Lawmakers borrowed about $240 million of the foundation's scheduled payments in 2002-2003, and the money won't be repaid until 2013-2014. Another $112 million was borrowed to help balance this year's state budget, with a promise of repayment in 2015.

Now, state lawmakers have proposed a 20 percent cut in the foundation's $107.5 million payment for next year, or $21.5 million, to subsidize the state's Medicaid program.

Rep. James P. Trakas, R-Independence, is expected to introduce an amendment to House Bill 434 that would eliminate "stand."

"To me, it's kind of like a slap in the face," Lester said of the proposed cuts. "We've worked so hard. We've helped so many people.