I am concerned about a bill that would have unintended consequences for Maine residents. L.D. 1215 – legislation that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products – would prohibit products that 80,000 adult smokers in Maine have already turned to as a replacement for more harmful combustible cigarettes.
Without access to these lower-risk products, many of these individuals may soon switch back to traditional cigarettes. Meanwhile, more than 170,000 current adult smokers in Maine will be left without access to products that have helped smokers across the country move away from combustible cigarettes. While I support the goal of reducing youth tobacco and nicotine use, I understand that it is already on the decline thanks to retailer compliance and enforcement and education policies.
E-cigarette use among U.S. high school and middle school students fell between 2019 and 2022. What’s more, a study found that flavor bans like L.D. 1215 risk leading to increases in youth smoking rates as well as increases in use of combustible cigarettes.
I urge legislators to reject L.D. 1215 and keep lower-risk options available to adult smokers.
Ted Talbot
Portland
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