An Ohio judge ruled Tuesday the state cannot use USD 230 million in tobacco settlement funds to pay for some of its social services, reports Reuters.

The Franklin County Common Pleas Court decided that money out of a special fund that was created with Ohio's share of a nation-wide tobacco settlement could be used only for programs to prevent people from using tobacco or to help them stop smoking.
In April 2008, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland sought to pull money out of the fund to use it for programs such as Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor jointly administered by the states and federal government.
Ellen Vargyas, general counsel for American Legacy Foundation, said fewer than 20 states that joined the USD 200 billion tobacco settlement had set aside money for anti-smoking campaigns in the same fashion as Ohio. This could limit the precedent-setting authority of the Ohio lower court's decision, according to the Reuters report.
Ohio is to appeal the decision. (pi)