CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Advocates for cancer patients and survivors are urging West Virginia lawmakers to allocate $5 million in funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs, while the American Lung Association launched a new program to address the state's high rate of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The call for increased tobacco funding is timed with the American Cancer Society's 49th annual Great American Smokeout on Thursday, and World COPD Day, on Wednesday.

“The Great American Smokeout is not just an opportunity for people who use tobacco to set a plan to quit. It’s also a clear wake-up call for lawmakers to say it’s time for West Virginia to stand up to Big Tobacco,” said Doug Hogan, government relations director, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (A

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