IN HR0057

Urges the Legislative Council to assign an interim study committee to examine Indiana's smoking rates from fiscal, economic, and workforce development perspectives.

Identifies Indiana's smoking rate at 21 percent, ranking it 41st in the nation, with tobacco use costing the state $7.6 billion annually in health care costs, lost productivity, and premature death.

Notes that secondhand smoke accounts for $2.2 billion of Indiana's tobacco-related costs and that Indiana Medicaid expenditures for smokers are 51.4 percent higher ($904.61 per member per month) compared to nonsmokers ($597.58 per member per month).

Calculates that smoking-related Medicaid costs total $539,808,666.55 annually, representing a $3,684.27 annual difference per person between smokers and nonsmokers.

Emphasizes that reducing smoking rates would improve Indiana's competitiveness for business investment and employment by creating a healthier workforce, similar to policy changes made by the U.S. military and Indiana National Guard.