INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's tobacco control agency will remain largely intact as a division of the Indiana State Department of Health.
The budget bill signed this month by Gov. Mitch Daniels abolishes the board of Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation and transfers its duties to the health department on July 1. It budgets $8 million per year for tobacco prevention, down from nearly $11 million this year.
ITPC Executive Director Karla Sneegas and Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Larkin sent a letter last week to tobacco prevention agencies saying ITPC will become a division of the Health Department and Sneegas will become an assistant health commissioner.
However, former state health commissioner Dr. Richard Feldman and others worry tobacco control will be subject to more political control and erosion of its funding in the future.
