Claire Fiddian-Green is the President & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. A recent report about tobacco use in the U.S. noted that adult smoking rates in 12 contiguous states exceed not only the national average, but that of many of the world’s most tobacco-dependent countries, including China, Indonesia and Brazil. Unfortunately, Indiana is one of these 12 states, which together comprise “Tobacco Nation.” In Tobacco Nation states, health outcomes are poorer than the national average. Incidences of preventable diseases linked to smoking – like lung and other cancers, and heart disease – are also higher. So it’s not surprising that life expectancy rates are lower in these states, […]

Reducing the amount of nicotine in cigarettes may lead some current smokers to smoke more – at least in the short term. But there’s also evidence that reducing nicotine in cigarettes can help reduce smoking.