Local health advocates hail Indiana's $2 cigarette tax increase at Vigo County meeting

A Tobacco Free Vape Free Vigo official thanked state lawmakers for a $2 per pack cigarette tax increase and urged local residents to use new cessation resources, during public comment at the Vigo County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Shannon Giles, who identified herself as manager of tobacco prevention and cessation for Tobacco Free Vape Free Vigo, said the state action is the most effective evidence‑based tool to prevent youth tobacco initiation and to encourage quitting. "Raising the tax by $2 is the most effective evidence based tool we have to prevent youth smoking and encourage current users to quit," Giles said.

Giles described the state law as applying proportional increases to other nicotine products, including e‑cigarettes, and cited projections she attributed to state public‑health analyses: preventing 7,000 Indiana youths from becoming smokers, prompting about 32,400 current smokers to quit, averting about 9,900 premature deaths and saving roughly $492,000,000 in future health‑care costs. She urged local leaders to publicize cessation resources and noted the county's higher lung cancer death rate (54.6 deaths per 100,000 residents) compared with the state.

Giles also promoted lung cancer awareness events next week, including a mayoral proclamation at 9 a.m. Monday at the city building and partnerships with Union Hospital pulmonary rehabilitation and local cancer center partners to expand early screening. She asked county staff and residents to wear teal for awareness and said local press materials will provide more information.

Commissioners did not take action on the comments; the remarks were presented as public comment for information only.