As a physician, grandmother and Scarborough resident, I am urging Gov. Mills and the Maine Legislature to take bold, life-saving action by increasing the tax on all tobacco products. Maine has a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on public health and save lives by implementing one of the most effective measures proven to reduce tobacco use.

The 2025 State of Tobacco Control report, recently released by the American Lung Association, highlights both progress and significant shortcomings in Maine’s approach to tobacco control.

While Maine earns top marks for funding tobacco prevention programs and ensuring access to cessation services, the state received a disappointing grade of C for the level of its tobacco taxes. This is no small issue. Maine’s adult and youth tobacco rate remain higher than the national average.

Today, tobacco use remains Maine’s leading cause of preventable death and disease, claiming nearly 2,400 lives annually and burdening our state with over $942 million in health care costs — including $281 million to the state Medicaid program.

Raising the cigarette tax and applying equivalent taxes to all tobacco products is a proven strategy to address this crisis. Numerous studies have shown that increasing tobacco taxes reduces smoking rates, especially among youth. In fact, every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by about 4% among adults and 7% among youth. It is a public health strategy that works, plain and simple.

Maine has not increased its cigarette tax in 20 years, falling behind other states that have recognized the life-saving potential of this policy. Raising the tax by at least $1 per pack, as proposed in the governor’s budget, would have an immediate impact, encouraging current smokers to quit and discouraging young people from ever starting.

Opponents of tobacco tax increases often claim that they unfairly target low-income individuals. However, the reality is that tobacco companies have long exploited these communities, marketing addictive products that disproportionately harm those already struggling with health disparities.

A higher tobacco tax is not regressive, it is progressive, giving people the financial incentive to quit while generating revenue that can be reinvested in cessation programs and public health initiatives.

Maine’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program is already a leader, offering free counseling and nicotine replacement therapies to help residents quit. Throughout the budget process, the Legislature must make sure to sustain full funding for the tobacco program to reach even more people. Increasing tobacco taxes would provide a critical source of revenue to ensure these services are available to everyone who needs them.

The stakes are high. Tobacco use not only devastates lives but also places an enormous financial burden on Maine’s health care system. The tobacco industry spends millions of dollars annually to block policies that work. We cannot allow it to continue prioritizing profits over public health.

Gov. Mills and the Legislature have a chance to take meaningful action that will improve the health and well-being of Maine residents for generations to come. Raising the tax on all tobacco products is long overdue. It is a measure that will prevent kids from starting to use tobacco, support adults in quitting and save lives.

I urge the Maine Legislature to include increased taxes of at least $1 per pack on cigarettes in the final budget package as it moves through the chambers. Maine has been a leader in tobacco prevention and control before; now is the time to lead again. Our kids and health depend on it.