Breathe Easy calls on legislators to raise state cigarette tax by $2

Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinions of The Reporter, its publisher or its staff. You can submit your own Letter to the Editor by email to News@ReadTheReporter.com. Please include your phone number and city of residence. The Reporter will publish one letter per person per week.

Dear Editor:

Aug. 1 is World Lung Cancer Day, a time to raise awareness about this serious disease. Lung cancer can affect anyone with lungs, but individuals with a history of tobacco use/exposure are at significantly higher risk. The American Lung Association reports that smoking is directly responsible for about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths.

Indiana, unfortunately, has one of the lowest cigarette taxes in the Midwest, at 99¢ since 1997. According to the American Cancer Society, raising Indiana’s cigarette tax could prevent 16,800 premature deaths among Hoosiers and raise funding for prevention and cessation education programs across the state.

This World Lung Cancer Day, let’s come together to advocate for a healthier Indiana. Write or call your legislators, encouraging them to support a $2 increase in the cigarette tax during the 2025 legislative session.

If you would like to join in the local cause, you can contact Breathe Easy Hamilton County for more information. Just go to BreatheEasyHamiltonCounty.com/contact-3.

Stacy Collins
Executive Director
Breathe Easy Hamilton County