Indiana has fallen from 6th to 27th in state spending to protect children from tobacco, according to a new report by the national Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The new report released this week showed Indiana will spend $10.8 million on tobacco prevention programs in 2006, down about 66 percent from the $32.5 million spent in 2003, when the state was ranked 6th in spending and considered a national leader in the fight against tobacco use.

The $10.8 million spent in 2006 is less than one-third of the minimum recommended spending by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Indiana was once a national leader in protecting kids from tobacco, but budget cuts have significantly reduced the state's highly successful tobacco prevention program," William V. Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a statement issued with the report.

The group says tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. In Indiana, tobacco uses claims about 9,800 lives annually and causes health problems that cost the state $2.1 billion.