Anchorage Daily News

During Senator-elect Mark Begich's first press conference at the Anchorage Hilton on Wednesday, a New York Times reporter called in asking, essentially, what kind of Democrat are you, supporting exploration of ANWR?

"Anyone who knows me knows me as a different Democrat," Begich responded. "I'm from Alaska. ... We're very independent."

That independence appealed to Alaska voters, who are an independent lot in their own right. Begich defeated Republican Sen. Ted Stevens by a 1 percent lead when the last big glut of ballots was counted Tuesday.

With Begich's election to the Senate seat Stevens held for the last 40 years, Alaska has passed the torch of leadership to a new generation.

Begich says his term will be a time of bipartisan collaboration, noting that he and Gov. Sarah Palin have many positions in common, such as support for the gas pipeline and for renewable energy.

As mayor of Anchorage, Begich inherited a budget with a $33 million shortfall. It was a mess, he said. He worked through it and left the city in better shape.

As senator, he noted, he comes to office in time to help Congress deal with "a mess with capital letters."

Anchorage's past budget shortfall is a speck of dust in comparison with America's financial troubles. But during the campaign and his mayoral term, Begich showed he has the skills and judgment to handle daunting challenges. His record shows he can become the get-it-done senator he wants to be -- even in this new national forum.

Congratulations, and welcome to your new job, Sen. Begich.

BOTTOM LINE: Godspeed.

Smokeout

Alaska's anti-tobacco effort is a government policy that works

Alaska is making great progress against one of the biggest health problems in the state: smoking.

Among Alaska adults, smoking is down 20 percent since 1996. Alaska youths have done even better: Their smoking rate has dropped by half. Those changes mean Alaska has 27,000 fewer smokers. The big drop has saved 8,000 lives and $300 million of health care costs.

That remarkable progress didn't happen by magic or divine intervention. It was the product of a concerted effort by government.

Alaska was the first state to boost its tobacco tax to $1 a pack, back in 1997. The boost helped discourage price-sensitive smokers -- especially youngsters -- while producing money to offset the state's tobacco-related health expenses and fund new anti-smoking efforts.

Those efforts got a real boost with the nationwide settlement of state tobacco lawsuits in 1998. The multi-billion-dollar deal gave states, including Alaska, a steady stream of money, some of which is supposed to be used to counter tobacco industry advertising that glamorizes the deadly habit.

And there is a lot to counter. Tobacco companies spend nearly $19 to promote their products for every $1 states spend to discourage tobacco use, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

As tobacco settlement money poured in, states were tempted to shortchange anti-smoking efforts and fill other gaps in their budgets. Nationwide, only about 3 percent of tobacco taxes and settlement funds are used to fight tobacco use. Alaska spends about 9 percent, which helped make us the state that comes closest to meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation for funding anti-tobacco efforts. (Finally, a national ranking we can be proud of!)

Still, Alaska's $9.2 million a year anti-tobacco effort doesn't quite reach the CDC's recommended spending level. It would take another $1.5 million to do so.

That could be a good investment in public health. Alaskans still smoke more than other Americans do. Our smoking rate, despite the welcome drop, is still above the national average -- 21.5 percent vs. 19.8 percent.

Alaskans keep puffing at the higher rate, even though the state raised the tobacco tax another dollar a pack, sixth-highest among all states.

Back in 2001, the state set a goal of reducing Alaska's adult smoking rate to 14 percent by 2010. We still have a long way to go.

The most obvious next step in the battle: Make sure the state fully funds the anti-tobacco fight at the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tobacco is powerfully addictive, as anyone who has tried to quit knows. People who want to stop need all the help they can get -- which is why groups like the American Cancer Society sponsor efforts like today's Great American Smokeout. Smokers are encouraged to stop -- even for just one day -- and seek support for trying to break their addiction. (Call 1-888-842-QUIT for help.)

Those efforts by private groups, combined with a fully funded state anti-tobacco campaign, will help even more Alaskans end their self-destructive tobacco habits and lead more healthy lives.

BOTTOM LINE: Alaska is doing pretty well with its campaign to reduce smoking.

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