Editorial: Better late than never on smoking age

After years of resistance, powerful Republicans in the General Assembly are now in favor of raising the legal age for smoking and vaping in Indiana from 18 to 21, perhaps foreshadowing at least a partial victory in the long quest by health care and business groups to get lawmakers to address the state’s unacceptably high smoking rate.

House Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said at a Nov. 18 panel discussion convened by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce that they will support legislation raising the smoking age.

That’s welcome news in the face of estimates that more than 90% of adult smokers start as teenagers. Passing and enforcing a higher minimum age should help whittle away at the 22% of Hoosiers who smoke, a bad habit that lowers Indiana’s collective health score and drives up the cost of care.

Moving those numbers in the right direction is a top legislative priority of the chamber and others committed to making Indiana a healthier, less expensive place to do business.

It’s not as if Hoosier Republicans are blind to the problem. U.S. Sen. Todd Young commendably took up the call last spring as a co-sponsor of bipartisan legislation in Congress that would raise the minimum age for buying tobacco and vaping products to 21 across the country. The Tobacco to 21 Act has since been joined by similar legislation, raising hopes that stricter federal law will soon limit access to a dangerous product.

Whether the change comes from the General Assembly or Washington, it would allow health advocates and legislators to sharpen their focus on another pillar in the war against smoking: raising Indiana’s tax on cigarettes.

The chamber and its allies want legislators to raise the tax by $2 to $3 a pack, a smart way to further discourage the purchase of cigarettes, raise money for cessation campaigns and bring Indiana in line with taxes in surrounding states. Republicans in the Legislature continue to resist the idea, but winning converts on the minimum age issue offers a glimmer of hope.

In this era of hardened positions and ideological purity, it’s refreshing anytime an elected official has the courage to evolve on an issue.

’Tis the season to grant a not-for-profit wish

The IBJ Holiday Wish List returns next week with one simple goal: Help businesses connect with local not-for-profits in need.

For more than 35 years, IBJ has played matchmaker during the holiday season by giving local not-for-profits a forum for soliciting donations of up to five goods or services—from office furniture to copier paper to help with an ad campaign. Over the years, individuals and businesses have noticed those requests and come through, finding appreciative recipients for things that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill.

We’re relying on your help to keep this going. If you represent an organization in need, please send us your most-wished-for items (submit at www.ibj.com/ibj-wish-list, or turn to page 5A for more information). And if you’re in a position to donate, please consult the list beginning Dec. 6 to see what you can provide. It might be the most satisfying transaction of the year.•

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