Maine Tobacco Tax Increase Will Protect Kids and Save Lives
Statement of Brian King, Executive Vice President, U.S. Programs, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Maine Legislature has delivered a huge win for kids and public health by passing a $1.50 per pack increase in the state cigarette tax, along with commensurate increases on other tobacco products. When signed by Governor Janet Mills, this will mark the first increase in the state’s cigarette tax in two decades.
The evidence is clear that increasing the price of tobacco products, including cigarettes, is among the most effective strategies to reduce use, especially among kids and those with limited incomes. In another positive step, Maine’s budget also continues to fund the state’s tobacco control programs at levels recommended by the CDC. This will help ensure smokers get the help they need to quit as Maine implements the tobacco tax increase.
These actions will have enormous health and financial benefits, including helping to reduce the $942 million Maine spends annually on tobacco-related health care costs. The cigarette tax increase alone is projected to:
- Prevent 1,100 Maine kids from becoming smokers;
- Spur 4,800 current adult smokers to quit;
- Save 1,400 Maine residents from premature, smoking-caused deaths; and
- Save over $74 million in future health care costs.
We applaud Governor Mills and Maine lawmakers for their leadership in fighting tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Maine and across the nation. We also applaud the coalition of health, youth and education leaders across the state that has advocated tirelessly to achieve today’s monumental outcome.