American Cancer Society to push for $2 per pack cigarette tax increase in Maine
January 06, 2025 by spectrumlocalnews.com
American Cancer Society to push for $2 per pack cigarette tax increase in Maine
The American Cancer Society aims to raise Maine's cigarette tax by $2 per pack to reduce smoking rates and generate $48 million annually. They also advocate for insurance coverage of specialized cancer testing, urging carriers to cover the cost of biomarker testing. This testing helps identify effective cancer treatments. Despite opposition from health plans, the tax increase could yield nearly $100 million yearly, addressing the state's budget shortfall. Maine has not increased the cigarette tax in 20 years, but the ACS believes this is key to reducing smoking-related health costs and preventing youth smoking.
