Deborah McMahan | Journal Gazette

Indiana has rarely been known to be a leader in public health issues. In fact, we always rank in the lower third of almost every survey that determines government leadership and allocation of money directed toward public health issues. This is in direct contrast to our persistently high ranking in rates of adult smokers.

However this year, locally and at the state level, our public officials, state legislators and local business leaders have demonstrated foresight and leadership in developing and implementing policies and laws that will improve the public's health now and in the long run.

Starting with the smoking ordinances that were passed by our County Commissioners and the Fort Wayne City Council and ending with the passage of legislation that gives disincentives for smokers with an increase in the tobacco tax and using the money collected to improve the health of our uninsured citizens, children in need of immunizations and smokers who are in need of assistance with smoking cessation. I can assure you that none of these decisions was easy or popular with the vocal minority. But that is what a strong leader does: makes difficult decisions based on the facts.

It is tough to be an effective leader, as you have to collaborate and compromise on policies in the here and now, which are creating the environment in which our children will become adults. Nobody wants their children to become smokers, but only by creating an environment in which it is more difficult to do so, through policy, will we really reduce the likelihood that they will smoke.

It would have been easy to pass a cigarette tax and direct the money toward property tax relief or other more popular legislative issues. But our local state legislators demonstrated real leadership by using the money to improve the health of our citizens. Because of the tobacco tax and subsequent increase in cost of a pack of cigarettes, 23,800 adult smokers will quit and 40,400 teen smokers will not begin this addictive habit. At least 145,000 uninsured Hoosiers will now have access to health care, and 50 percent of the underinsured children in Allen County who receive their childhood immunizations at the Department of Health and Super Shot will continue to be fully immunized with important vaccines. Smokers who desire to quit will have greater access to effective smoking-cessation resources.

Other states are now looking at Indiana as a model for addressing important public health issues like smoking and providing health insurance for the uninsured. The past eight months demonstrate that it does not take a long time to reverse a negative course, just strong leaders committed to improving the safety and well-being of their constituents.