Over 350 students, advocates and business leaders rallied at the Indiana Statehouse today to educate lawmakers on the need to raise the cigarette tax by $2 per pack to improve the state’s poor public health rankings and reduce the $2.9 billion the state spends each year on tobacco-related health care costs. The rally, hosted by Raise it for Health, was held in conjunction with the American Cancer Society’s Suits and Sneakers event, in which lawmakers, staff and advocates wore their sneakers in support of cancer awareness. Following the rally, advocates delivered more than 7,000 signed supporter cards from all 92 counties to Governor Holcomb and legislative leaders.
“Raising the cigarette tax is the single most-effective measure we can take to address the growing number of tobacco-related illnesses, like cancer, and in turn increase our state’s overall health ranking,” said Bryan Mills, CEO at Community Health Network. “Currently, Indiana ranks 41st for overall health when compared to other states in the nation and our poor health rankings are driven largely by our high smoking rates. What’s worse is that as other states are improving their tobacco utilization rate, Indiana is moving in the wrong direction with an adult smoking rate that is 50 percent above the national average.”
“Tobacco use is responsible for 31 percent of all cancer deaths in Indiana and the state’s high smoking rate has resulted in Indiana having one of the worst cancer death rates in the country,” said Bryan Hannon, Indiana government relations director at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “We know if we can reduce tobacco use, we can save lives from cancer – which is what the American Cancer Society’s Suits and Sneakers event is all about.”
Indiana’s cigarette tax is the 14th lowest in the nation and has not been raised in over a decade. A $2-per-pack increase would raise the tax to just under $3 per pack and generate an estimated $350 million annually to be invested in public health, especially to help adults quit smoking and protect kids, as well as on other urgent priorities, such as our infant mortality and the opioid crises. Currently, more than 31,000 high schoolers in Indiana smoke.
“Raising the cigarette tax is the most meaningful and transformative investment we can make to improve our kids’ health,” said Charlie Geier, VP of impact, data solutions and statewide advocacy for the Indiana Youth Institute. “Our kids are our future. Let’s make sure they have the good health needed to become Indiana’s next generation of citizens, innovators and leaders.”
For the Hoosier economy, reducing the high rate of tobacco use is necessary to attract businesses and top talent to our state. Currently, the high rate costs Indiana an additional $7.6 billion per year in increased insurance premiums, absenteeism, productivity and employee health care claims.
“Tobacco use in Indiana has dramatically impacted our ability to stay competitive when it comes to attracting businesses to our state,” said Kevin Bringer, president of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. “If Indiana wants to be a state that works, we must also be a state that works on lowering our smoking rate and the business costs associated.”
Hoosier sentiment strongly favors a higher cigarette tax. In 2018, a poll of Indiana voters showed all party and political affiliations strongly support raising the state’s cigarette tax as a smart solution to improve Indiana’s critically poor public health. Seventy percent of voters supported the increase with some revenue being dedicated to tobacco prevention programs to keep kids from using tobacco and help smokers quit. The poll also found that two-thirds of voters are more likely to support a state legislator who supports a cigarette tax increase.
Raise it for Health, a coalition comprising over 200 partner organizations like Tobacco Free Indiana, Alliance for a Healthier Indiana, Indiana Chamber and Indiana Hospital Association, is leading the charge on the cigarette tax in 2019. For more information about Raise it for Health, please visit http://raiseitforhealthin.com/.
About Raise it for Health
The Raise it for Health campaign brings together health and business leaders in Indiana to support a cigarette tax increase of at least $2 per pack to reduce smoking, save lives, strengthen our workforce and raise revenue that can be dedicated to urgent public health priorities, including helping more smokers quit and tackling the opioid epidemic. www.raiseitforhealthin.com