The Devastating Toll of Tobacco Claire Fiddian-Green President & CEO, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation JUNE 29, 2017
What do we know about tobacco use in Indiana? 2
Tobacco use in Indiana is higher than the national average, and higher for lower income populations Indiana ranks 39 th in the U.S. for its adult smoking rate of 20.6%. In Indiana, 14.3% of pregnant women smoke more than fourfifths higher than the U.S. rate of 7.8%. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently reported that, nationally, 7.2% of middle school students and 20.2% of high school students currently use tobacco products. And, also according to the CDC, Hoosiers with annual household incomes less than $15,000 smoke at a rate of 35.4%. This rate drops as incomes rise: Hoosiers with annual household incomes greater than $50,000 have a smoking rate of 11.7%. America s Health Rankings 2016, United Health Foundation CDC: BRFSS Prevalence; Youth and Tobacco Use Fact Sheet 3
Why should we care about tobacco use? Isn t it old news? What about other drugs, like prescription opioids and heroin? 4
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Indiana and is a leading cause of diseases More than 11,000 Hoosiers die annually from smoking. Another 1,400 Hoosiers die each year from secondhand smoke exposure. Equivalent to two 747-airplane crashes each month. 10 times greater than the number of people who died in Indiana in 2015 from a drug overdose. Smoking also causes 3 out of 10 deaths from cancer and 3 out of 10 deaths from heart disease. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/facts_issues/toll_us/indiana ISDH, Tobacco Prevention and Control, https://www.in.gov/isdh/tpc/files/indiana_tobacco_burden_november_2015.pdf
6 Tobacco use has a significant economic impact and affects every Hoosier including those who don t smoke For every pack of cigarettes sold in the state, Indiana spends $15.90 in health care costs related to smoking and lost productivity. Annual health care costs due to smoking: $2.93 billion Hoosiers on Medicaid who smoke cost $540 million more annually than Medicaid patients who don t smoke State/federal annual tax burden: $903 per household Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/facts_issues/toll_us/indiana Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation study on Medicaid population: https://www.rmff.org/insights/reports/ ISDH, Tobacco Prevention and Control, https://www.in.gov/isdh/tpc/files/indiana_tobacco_burden_november_2015.pdf
7 Tobacco use affects Indiana employers, too, which is a drag on Indiana s economy Smokers cost employers $6,000 more per year than nonsmokers This comes from higher absenteeism, reduced productivity when at work, and elevated health insurance costs Indiana has special protection for smokers under state law
What is the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation doing to combat the forgotten tobacco epidemic? 8
Overview of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation Our mission is to advance the vitality of Indianapolis and the well-being of its people by addressing the city s most significant challenges and opportunities Focus areas: Education Health Vitality of Indianapolis Within our Health focus area, we target two issues: Tobacco reducing rate of tobacco use Opioids reducing rates of prescription drug and heroin abuse 9
We Have Four Tobacco Strategies Raise awareness of evidence-based policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use Expand access to evidence-based prevention programs and cessation treatments Strengthen the infrastructure for tobacco control advocacy Assess tobacco control strategies and evaluate effectiveness of programs 10
Recent Grant: Tobacco Assessment Grant to Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI Released a report in Fall 2016 that did two things: First, described scope of problem in Marion County and Indiana Told us how to target our efforts for example, smoking is especially high among Medicaid enrollees Second, identified evidence-based programs and policies to lower tobacco use Told us what levers are most likely to have an impact for example, higher cigarette tax Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation study on tobacco use in Indiana: https://www.rmff.org/insights/reports/ 11
Report recommended key strategies to lower Indiana s high rates of tobacco use. Two of these include: Raise the price of tobacco products: the single most effective method to lower rates of smoking. Ample evidence shows: for every 10 percent increase in cigarettes price, consumption decreases by 3 to 5 percent. Restrict access to tobacco products, especially for youth. CDC reports: Tobacco use is started and established primarily during adolescence. Nearly 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers first tried smoking by age 18, and 99% first tried smoking by age 26. Each day in the United States, more than 3,200 youth aged 18 years or younger smoke their first cigarette, and an additional 2,100 youth and young adults become daily cigarette smokers. Flavorings in tobacco products can make them more appealing to youth. 12
Thank you! Learn more at: RMFF.org