$2.00 per pack taxes may be added to Cigarette prices in Indiana by the time the Indiana Legislature wraps up its legislative session by April 29, 2025.
15.7 % of the people in Clinton County smoke. Tobacco Cessation is one of several key result areas for Healthy Communities of Clinton County Coalition located on Rossville Avenue in Frankfort. Tammy Koger with the State of Indiana/Healthy Communities spoke at Frankfort Rotary Thursday noon and put a spotlight on the harmful habits of smoking and vaping and some of the ways parents, concerned adults and the health community are joining in the cessation efforts.
Koger gave a talk to Frankfort Rotary to enlighten the community of some of the opportunities and challenges to win the smoking cessation battle.
Cigarettes currently cost about $7 to $9 per pack, according to Koger. At one pack per day, this would cost a pack-a-day user up to $3,285 per year or $6,570 per year per household if both adults smoked. If an additional tax is added per pack in Indiana this year, these numbers could increase about 25%.
Indiana has the 8th highest smoking rate in the nation and smoking is a major contributor to Indiana’s poor health. 2,300 Hoosier children under 18 will become daily smokers this year and employers spend “more than $6,200 per year for each worker who smokes” according to Koger’s hand out material.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Indiana, killing more than 11,000 Hoosiers each year. Smoking costs Indiana’s economy 3.4 billion dollars each year in excess health care costs, according to Koger.
Indiana’s Medicaid program spends $634 million annually on health care costs linked to smoking. One solution that may contribute to the devastating health and dollar costs of smoking may be a $2.00 per pack increase in Indiana. Currently the state tax per pack is 99 cents. This amount is 39th in the United States and lowest of surrounding states.
- Indiana: .995 per pack
- Kentucky: 1.10 per pack
- Ohio: 1.60 per pack
- Michigan: 2.00 per pack
- Illinois: 2.98 per pack
Koger pointed out the last time cigarette taxes were raised in Indiana was 18 years ago in 2007, the year Facebook (and the iPhone) were introduced.
If Indiana adds 2.00 per pack, that would put the state tax per pack at $2.995 per pack, about the same as Illinois. It is possible the tax will go up, but not to the full increase of $2.00 per pack, according to Koger.
In Clinton County 38 retailers sell tobacco products. Of those 38 retailers, 75% of them offered a price promotion on a tobacco product compared to 67% for the state. 97% sell flavored tobacco items that are found to appeal to most youth users. In 2022, 8.7% of youth reported having vaped. That translates to about 266 students in Frankfort schools alone.
In Clinton County, of the 38 retailers who sold tobacco products:
- 94% sold cigarettes
- 79% sold menthol cigarettes
- 58% sold little cigars/cigarillos
- 11% sold premium large cigars
- 86% sold smokeless tobacco
- 58% sold e-cigarettes
- 56% sold nicotine pouches
Koger said one of the reasons Indiana has such a high smoking rate (15.7%) (8th highest in nation) is because, in part, the tax per pack is so low.
Clinton County Statistics:
- Total Population: 33,190
- White: 26,867
- Black: 201
- Hispanic: 6,142
- Asian: 73
- Other including multiple races: 3,273
Clinton County Smoking Data:
- Percent of pregnant women who smoke: 6.4%. (Indiana 6.6%)
- Deaths in Clinton County attributable to smoking per year: 54 (second hand smoke: 9)
- Smoking related illnesses in Clinton County per year: 1,629
Vaping is often called an electronic cigarette and is a device that simulates smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartrige or tank. Instead of smoking, the user inhales vapor. Some vaping devices contain 15,000 puffs, compared to 10 puffs per cigarette. Vaping devices contain Formaldehyde and relatively large quantities of nicotine and can also cause health related problems.
Vaping devices have been sold specifically to market to and attract children, often found near Pokémon cards and at a lower elevation shelf level in some stores. Vaping devices also have simple electronic games as part of the device to further attract children.
If you or someone you know are interested in living smoke free or want more information, contact Tammy Koger at Healthy Communities at 765-659-6063 or text READY to 34191.
English
Español