Gov. Mills’ Proposal to Increase Maine’s Tobacco Tax Will Protect Kids and Save Lives  

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids strongly supports Gov. Janet Mills’ proposal, included in her state budget today, to significantly increase Maine’s tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products. We applaud Governor Mills for her leadership and urge the state Legislature to approve a cigarette tax increase of at least $1 per pack as proposed by Governor Mills. A larger increase will have even greater health and financial benefits. Maine leaders should seize this opportunity to protect kids, improve health and save lives for generations to come.

The evidence is clear that increasing the price of cigarettes and other tobacco products is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among kids. A significant tobacco tax increase will prevent kids from using tobacco products, encourage smokers to quit, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related healthcare costs, which total $942 million a year in Maine. It will also raise revenue to help fund critical state programs. Under existing state law, if the cigarette tax increase passes, it will also increase the tax on other tobacco products like e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, which will reduce youth use of these products as well.

Historically, Maine had one of the highest cigarette tax rates in the country but has not increased its tax in 20 years. Currently, Maine’s cigarette tax ranks 20th highest in the United States and one of the lowest rates in the Northeast. Support for tobacco tax increases has been strong and bipartisan in polling across the country.

A $1 per pack cigarette tax increase will improve public health in the state, including:

• Preventing 700 Maine kids from becoming smokers;
• Spurring 3,200 current adult smokers to quit;
• Saving 900 Maine residents from premature, smoking-caused deaths; and
• Saving over $48 million in future healthcare costs.

In addition to increasing tobacco taxes, we urge Maine leaders to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including flavored e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes. Tobacco companies use flavored products to target and addict kids, Black Americans, the LGBTQ+ community and other communities. In Maine, 16.4% of high school students use e-cigarettes, and research shows that nearly 90 percent of youth e-cigarette users choose flavored products. Eliminating flavored tobacco products is a critical step to further reduce youth tobacco use and advance health equity in Maine.