390 Million dollars a year

That’s how much it costs Hoosiers every year due to ailments related to secondhand smoke. You saw that right. IU’s School of Medicine released a study yesterday with that conclusion. That, not coincidentally, comes just days before the testimony begins to fly at the statehouse about a bill that would ban smoking in all workplaces in the state. As it stands now, counties are free to pass ordinances as they see fit, but a statewide ban would make it uniform.

Supporters of the bill say this study shows that this is not just a health issue, but a financial one, and they point to higher health care costs for everybody when a state like Indiana ranks 6th in the nation for smoking. Those who are against it (some bars and casinos, predominently) say this will hurt business. (By the way, I’m willing to listen to that argument if you bring to the table some data. No….. anecdotal evidence and hypotheses don’t count.) And the Gov’s stance, as far as I can tell, is “I’m staying out of this one, thank you. But if you pass a law, or a new tax on smokers, I’m in!”

So that’s where we are. Enjoy this.