Indiana State Health Improvement Plan (I-SHIP) - State of Indiana

Decrease Tobacco Usage
Indiana Adult & Youth Smoking Rates:
Indiana‘s adult smoking rate is 23.1%, which is a statistically significant
decrease from the 2001 adult smoking rate of 27.4%. Still, over 1.1 million
adults in Indiana smoke cigarettes. Indiana ranks high among states in
adult smoking prevalence, and is higher than the U.S. rate of 17.9%.
Indiana smoking rates for men remain higher than those for Indiana
women. Hoosier smoking rates by gender are also higher than the national
rates. xvi
Smoking among high school students in Indiana is at 18.3%, a drop from
31.6% in 2000. This decrease in the smoking rate among high school
students equates to approximately 49,000 less youth smokers. Four percent
of middle school students in Indiana are current smokers. This is a 59%
decline from 2000, when approximately one in every ten middle school
students smoked cigarettes. xvii
Indiana’s Tobacco Policies:
The current Indiana state cigarette excise tax is 99.5 cents/pack.
Nationally, the average state tobacco tax is $1.45, with taxes ranging from
17 cents to $4.35/pack.
Approximately 34% of all Hoosiers are protected from secondhand smoke
by a local smoke-free air law that covers workplaces and restaurants. Only
11% of Indiana residents are protected by a local law that covers
workplaces, restaurants, and bars. xviii At a national level, 79.4% are covered
by a smoke-free air law that covers most public places and workplaces,
including restaurants. Nearly half, or 47.8%, of the nation is covered by a
comprehensive smoke-free air law which covers all workplaces,
restaurants, and bars. xix
The Changing Landscape & New Opportunities in Tobacco Control:
Regulation of Tobacco Products:
On June 22, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking
Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This historic legislation grants
authority to regulate tobacco products to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. Powerful opportunities to advance the regulation of
tobacco products exist at state and local levels, opportunities which
Indiana‘s tobacco control commission must take advantage of to stay in
front of the increasingly aggressive tactics of the tobacco industry.
Conclusion:
Tobacco use, if left unchecked, will almost certainly cause immeasurable
harm to the physical health of children and adults, while damaging our
country‘s fiscal health. To prevent these unnecessary health effects, as well