Center for Health Policy Sponsors Tobacco Policy Forum

INDIANAPOLIS – Hoosiers had the second highest adult smoking rate among the 50 states in 2005, a serious concern for Indiana since tobacco is linked to a long list of social and economic problems. Many problems are well known, including higher rates of illness and premature death, reduced productivity, and increases in medical costs and health insurance premiums.

“Indiana’s smoking rates are a major public health issue,” said Eric Wright, director of the Center for Health Policy at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, “but researchers have identified many policies that states can implement to reduce tobacco use. Some of these policies include tobacco taxation, smoking prevention education for youth, and quit smoking campaigns. We have learned a great deal about how to structure programs so they are effective.”

In an effort to inform legislators, government staff, and the public about effective policies that promote health, the Center for Health Policy is sponsoring a health policy forum on November 15. The forum, Reducing Tobacco Use in Indiana—What Policy Strategies Can Help?, will be held Wednesday, November 15, 2006, from 1:15 to 4:30 p.m., in the auditorium at the Indiana Government Center South Conference Center.

The keynote speakers will be Corinne G. Husten, MD, MPH, acting director of the Office of Smoking and Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD, distinguished professor, Economics, College of Business Administration, and Director, Health Policy Center, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago.

Dr. Husten will discuss best practices in tobacco control policy, and Dr. Chaloupka will discuss the economics of tobacco taxation in Indiana.

The forum will also feature a panel discussion by members of the Indiana State Legislature.

Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and make public comments.

The Center for Health Policy is a nonpartisan applied research organization in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. It is a highly focused research unit within the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment.

The forum is free and all are welcome. For more information about the forum and pre-registration, visit the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment’s website (http://www.urbancenter.iupui.edu/aboutthecenter/news_result.asp?newsid=78) or contact the Center at (317) 261-3000.