INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Jan. 30, 2018 – Today, the Indiana House of Representatives sidelined a bill that would have increased the minimum age of tobacco sales from 18 to 21 years old. Bryan Hannon, chair of Tobacco Free Indiana, released the following statement in response:
“Today’s procedural move in the House killed a proposal with bi-partisan support that would have helped thousands of kids avoid a lifetime of tobacco addiction.
“This year marks the third consecutive session that the Indiana General Assembly has failed to take meaningful action on Indiana’s smoking crisis—a crisis that every year claims the lives of 11,000 Hoosiers, ensnares 3,700 kids in a lifetime of addiction and costs our economy more than $7 billion in related health care costs and lost productivity.
“We know what works: raise the state's cigarette tax, delay youth access to tobacco and work with communities and employers to expand cessation efforts. Next year's session must focus on a healthier Indiana, starting with efforts to reduce smoking.”