A new report says Massachusetts has fallen six places to rank 41st nationally in funding programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The coalition of public health organizations that released the report Wednesday says nearly 18 percent of state high school students smoke. About 6,300 children become regular smokers every year as tobacco claims 9,000 lives and costs the state $3.5 billion in health care bills.

But Massachusetts has cut state funding for tobacco prevention by 63 percent, from $12.2 million to $4.5 million. The state will collect $829 million from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 0.5 percent of it on tobacco prevention programs this year. Tobacco companies spend $194.6 million a year to market their products in the state 32 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.