Comprehensive Smoking Law Would Save 82,000 Lives In Indiana | CigarettesBox.Com Tobacco News

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Comprehensive Smoking Law Would Save 82,000 Lives In Indiana

If Indiana enacted a comprehensive statewide smoking cigarettes policy and increased its cigarettes tax by $1, there would be 105,600 fewer smokers, 82,000 deaths would be averted and about $116 million in health care costs would be saved, according to two reports released Wednesday by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

This is the first time studies have attempted to quantify the potential effects of smoking cigarettes legislation and cigarettes-tax increases, John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said of the reports the group commissioned.

Illinois enacted a comprehensive public smoking cigarettes ban in January 2008 that had no exemptions. Since it was implemented, 30,000 heart attacks have been prevented and the state has saved $1.18 billion in health costs, according to the report.

"(cigarettes) is the only legal product that kills when it's used as intended by the manufacturer," Seffrin said. "(It is) public health enemy No. 1."

Across the country, 23 states and the District of Columbia have comprehensive laws, leaving 27 states, including Indiana, either without a law or with a law that has exemptions. According to the reports, jointly titled, Saving Lives, Saving Money, if those 27 states implemented comprehensive laws without any exemptions, 1 million adults would stop smoking cigarettes and 400,000 youths would never start. Smoking-related deaths would be reduced by 624,000. The country would save more than $875 million on treating smoke-related heart attacks and other ailments and more than $316 million in treating lung cancer.

Indiana's cigarette tax is 99.5 cents per pack, the 21st lowest in the nation, and hasn't increased since 2007. The average tax per pack nationwide is $1.45.

"Every bit of information is invaluable to convince my colleagues that comprehensive legislation is the right thing to do," said state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary.

A smoking cigarettes ban authored by Brown passed in the House in January but died in the Senate's Public Policy Committee after some members said they wanted a more comprehensive policy. Others said the state shouldn't be involved in discussing what's allowed in businesses. The proposed legislation exempted casinos, bars, private clubs, online cigarettes shops and nursing homes.

"We recognize that no policy is sometimes better than a poor policy," said Seffrin, who said it was better to wait for a comprehensive law than have one pass with exemptions.

He said not having a policy puts huge pressure on policy makers, and sometimes a policy with exemptions provides something for legislators to hide behind.

Brown, who said he plans to fight for a statewide smoking cigarettes policy in the General Assembly's next session, will introduce a a bill without any exemptions. However, movement on a cigarettes online tax increase is unlikely in 2012 since all the members of the House are up for re-election, he said.


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