Too disorganized to accomplish its goals by any other means, the federal government is threatening Minnesota with the loss of $8 million in support for drug treatment programs – because the state has not been effective enough in curbing sales of tobacco to teen-agers.

Thursday, August 26, 1999

Too disorganized to accomplish its goals by any other means, the federal government is threatening Minnesota with the loss of $8 million in support for drug treatment programs – because the state has not been effective enough in curbing sales of tobacco to teen-agers. Minnesota has, it appears, done poorly at limiting tobacco sales to minors. But driving home that point by damaging the good work of drug treatment programs makes no sense at all.

Minnesota has run afoul of federal rules which say that no more than 21 percent of retailers can be found to have sold tobacco to minors. In 1998, 31 percent of Minnesota retailers who were checked failed that test.

Granted, it is unfortunate that nearly a third of state retailers play a role in providing tobacco to minors. That percentage is far too high.

But it is not clear what will be gained by withholding funds from programs which treat people who have drug and alcohol addictions. Clearly, it is the federal government’s way of attracting the state’s attention – and an effective one at that. Yet it makes a political football of some of Minnesota’s most vulnerable people, and that is bad policy.

Instead of passing the buck to the states, which have in turn passed it to counties and municipalities – many of whom have simply not complied - the federal government should either legislate compliance or leave the matter to individual states. But applying senseless punishments benefits nobody.