Despite persistently high smoking rates, the Hoosier state’s spending on tobacco control is 11 percent of federal recommendations, less than half of the national average.

INDIANAPOLIS (June 5, 2018) — Comprehensive tobacco control efforts play a powerful role in reducing smoking and the health and economic toll of the smoking epidemic. But Indiana woefully underfunds these initiatives, falling far below federal recommendations and dollars spent in other states, a report released today by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation shows.

Indiana menumpukan hanya $8.2 juta dalam perbelanjaan persekutuan dan negeri pada 2016 untuk menghalang Hoosiers daripada mula merokok, membantu mereka berhenti dan melindungi orang daripada asap rokok. Ini hanya 11 peratus daripada $73.5 juta yang disyorkan oleh Pusat Kawalan dan Pencegahan Penyakit (CDC) – dan jauh di belakang tahap pembiayaan negeri lain, menurut kajian penyelidik di Pusat Polisi Kesihatan di Universiti Illinois di Chicago. Pembiayaan kawalan tembakau setiap orang Indiana – pada $1.23 – adalah kurang daripada separuh daripada purata kebangsaan $2.92.

Sementara itu, kadar merokok Indiana kekal 10^ke highest nationwide, with more than one in five Hoosiers smoking, at a devastating toll to the state. More than 11,000 Hoosiers die prematurely from smoking each year, and smoking costs Indiana $7.6 billion annually due to health care expenses, lower productivity and premature deaths.

“Tobacco has an overwhelming impact on Indiana – both in lives lost and dollars wasted,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. “By increasing funding levels to CDC recommendations, we could make significant strides in addressing our smoking crisis. With our current inadequate levels of tobacco control funding, we’re missing a key opportunity to help improve our state’s poor health outcomes.”

Indiana pernah menjadi pemimpin negara dalam usaha membiayai untuk menangani merokok. Pada tahun 2001, negeri memperuntukkan $35 juta sumbernya sendiri dan $1.4 juta dalam dolar persekutuan untuk kawalan tembakau—jumlah yang selaras dengan cadangan CDC. Angka tersebut terus menurun kepada angka di bawah purata hari ini.

Untuk memenuhi cadangan CDC, Indiana sepatutnya membelanjakan sembilan kali ganda daripada tahap semasa, atau $65.3 juta lebih setahun. Ini akan menghasilkan pelbagai hasil positif, termasuk:

“By increasing funding for tobacco control efforts, Indiana would save lives and position itself for a brighter, more prosperous future,” said Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. “This is critical if our state is to remain competitive with peers – for talent, jobs and citizens’ wellbeing – in the 21^st century.”

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MENGENAI YAYASAN RICHARD M. FAIRBANKS

Yayasan Richard M. Fairbanks berusaha untuk memajukan daya hidup Indianapolis dan kesejahteraan penduduknya dengan menangani cabaran dan peluang paling penting di bandar itu. Yayasan memberi tumpuan kepada tiga bidang isu: pendidikan, ketagihan tembakau dan opioid, dan sains hayat. Untuk memajukan tugasnya, Yayasan melaksanakan pendekatan serampang tiga mata: pemberian geran strategik, advokasi berasaskan bukti, dan kerjasama dan persidangan merentas sektor. Ketahui lebih lanjut di RMFF.org.

ABOUT THE REPORT AUTHORS

Drs. John A. Tauras and Frank J. Chaloupka have decades of experience researching the impact of tobacco control policies and programs on tobacco use. John A. Tauras, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and a Faculty Scholar at the Institute of Health Research and Policy at UIC. Much of Dr. Tauras’ research has examined the impact of government policies on the demand for tobacco products and has resulted in more than 50 journal articles and chapters in conference volumes on this topic. Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD, is a Research Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Administration in the University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) School of Public Health and in the UIC Department of Economics. He is also the Director of the UIC Health Policy Center. Dr. Chaloupka is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading researchers on the economics of health behaviors, including tobacco use, excessive drinking, illicit drug use, diet, and physical activity, and has published over 450 journal articles, book chapters, books, and other products.