A group that favors increasing Indiana's cigarette tax is hosting a town-hall-style meeting on the topic Friday at Deaconess Gateway Hospital.
The gathering is organized by Hoosiers for a Healthier Indiana, a coalition of health organizations advocating for a $1 increase in tobacco taxes.
This is one in a series of such meetings the group is hosting in different Indiana cities, said Kelli McCrary, who is the coordinator of the Indiana Joint Asthma Coalition. She also works with Hoosiers for a Healthier Indiana.
The meeting is open to the public. It will take place from 2-3 p.m. at the hospital, located at 4011 Gateway Boulevard in Newburgh.
McCrary said she anticipates the meeting will draw concerned citizens, legislators and possibly store owners who sell tobacco products.
"We expect a good mix of people to be there who will be for, and against, the tax increase," she said.
According to the Federation of Tax Administrators, Indiana's cigarette tax is 99.5 cents per pack, which ranks 32nd among U.S. states. The state with the highest cigarette tax is New York, at $4.35 per pack. Virginia has the nation's lowest rate, at 30 cents per pack.