State criticized over smoking rates

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Indiana has the second highest percentage of smokers in the nation, yet the state cut funding this year for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent. Those are the findings in a national report released Wednesday titled: A Broken Promise to our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later .

The report was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids , American Heart Association , American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network , American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation .

Indiana is one of the states that continue to receive millions each year from the 1998 tobacco settlement. But very little of that money goes to smoking prevention and cessation programs.

Experts say it's harder to quit when those around you smoke. So it's hard to quit in Indiana where more than a quarter of adults smoke. Although Indiana will collect $622 million this year from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, it will spend less than two percent of that money on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

"The CDC recommends that Indiana would spend just short of $79 million for a really effective tobacco control program," said Melissa Lewis, of the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians.

Indiana spends $10.8 million a year on its tobacco control program. Democratic state legislator Bill Crawford believes that's not enough. But he says political ploys control the purse strings.

"We sort of played games according to who controls the process with how those dollars were utilized," said Crawford.

Smoking prevention advocates admit convincing legislators to spend more on smoking control programs is a tough sell in a tough economy. But they say it's money well spent because the state spends two billion a year on smokers' health care costs.

For free help to quit smoking, you can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit 1800quitnow.cancer.gov