Advocates urge lawmakers to take action to reduce tobacco use

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Roughly 500 advocates, including 300 students, from across the state traveled to the Statehouse on Wednesday to meet with their elected officials during Tobacco Free Indiana Advocacy Day. They told lawmakers that Indiana can and must do better to reduce the toll of tobacco on Hoosiers.

Advocates met with lawmakers to ask them to increase the state’s cigarette tax by $2 per pack and the tax on all other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, parallel to the new cigarette tax. Increasing Indiana’s cigarette tax by $2 per pack would generate over $318 million in new annual revenue, keep 7,000 kids from becoming adults who smoke, help 32,400 adults who currently smoke quit and save 9,900 lives.

Furthermore, advocates shared that lawmakers should increase the state’s investment to $15 million for programs that prevent tobacco use and help those already addicted quit. In taking these actions, Indiana will take a decisive step towards reducing tobacco use and its devastating toll on our communities.

Over 42,000 Hoosiers will be diagnosed with cancer, and over 14,000 are expected to die from the devastating disease this year. A total of 33.8 percent of those cancer deaths will be caused by cigarette smoking. Those gathered at the Statehouse Wednesday called on Indiana lawmakers to change this by taking steps to prioritize the fight for a healthier Indiana by reducing tobacco use.