Indiana - statewide program offers money to smokers that quit..

August 17, 2010 - An Indiana agency is looking to extinguish smoking statewide. Using money from tobacco company settlements, state health officials will divvy out $5,000 among three Indiana smokers who cut the habit.

The program is called "Quit Now Indiana." To apply, you must have quit after June 1st and remain cigarette free until the end of October. Health officials say that five grand could save the state billions.

"A little over $2 billion is spent in health care costs for smokers and another $2.6 billion is spent in productivity losses. So for the state of Indiana we spend close to $5 billion annually taking care of smokers,” said Jill Sabo of Tobacco Free St. Joseph County.

Learn more: QUIT NOW INDIANA - CONTEST..

Reference: Statewide program offers thousand of dollars to Hoosiers who quit smoking, elise.yahner@wndu.com, WNDU.com, 8/16/2010.

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