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The American Lung Association's national State of Tobacco Control Report Card graded Maine on its success and commitment to restricting youth access to tobacco products, limiting exposure to secondhand smoke, discouraging demand through aggressive pricing policies, and funding a comprehensive prevention and treatment program.  

Maine will keeps its #1 ranking nationally but grades slipped in the area of cigarette excise tax to a "B".   Dropping down to a “B” score on excise tax is a warning that we need to step up our prevention efforts.  Tobacco excise taxes are a critical public health measure. Cigarettes are a price sensitive commodity; for each 10 percent price increase, consumption drops by about 7 percent for youth and 4 percent for adults. The CDC reports that each pack of cigarettes sold in this country costs the economy $10.47 in direct medical costs and lost productivity.  Currently, Maine’s excise tax is $2.00/pack. Raising the excise tax would provide a win-win situation: tobacco use decreases and results in healthier Maine people, which means reduced absenteeism and presenteeism and lower health care costs.  We believe that the revenue from an increased excise tax should go towards alleviating the cost of health care.

Please take a moment to send the letter below to Governor Baldacci in Augusta to ask that they continue to support the Fund for a Healthy Maine Programs and increase the tobacco excise tax.