Maine Highlights

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Maine. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Maine’s elected officials:

The 2023 Maine legislative session resulted in mixed success for tobacco prevention policies. For more than a decade, a top priority of the American Lung Association has been to increase funding for the Maine tobacco control program to the level recommended by the U.S. CDC. After many years of advocacy, Maine finally fully funded its tobacco prevention and treatment program in 2022 and that funding was sustained in 2023. Defensive victories were also realized during the 2023 legislative session as multiple preemption measures that would have restricted local municipalities from enacting tobacco prevention policies were defeated.

Two tobacco prevention priorities of the Lung Association are in limbo after the 2023 legislative session. Efforts continued to advance legislation ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored tobacco products. Gains were made in 2023 with the Health & Human Services Committee voting the measure out with a recommendation to pass; and the Senate passing the measure. The Maine House of Representatives tabled the measure at the end of the first half of the session, meaning it will carry over for consideration into 2024. This is still a priority for the Lung Association, and the organization is actively working with members of the House to see this bill through to becoming a law.

Although the legislature has not yet enacted a statewide measure, progress continued on the local level with Bar Harbor and Falmouth passing comprehensive ordinances ending the sale of menthol and flavored tobacco products. In the early part of 2023, an effort to repeal a local ordinance ending the sale of menthol and flavored tobacco products in South Portland failed, ensuring youth in that community will continue to be protected. Work on the local level will continue to build momentum for statewide action to ensure all Maine kids from Kittery to Madawaska are protected. Additionally, the bill to end the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies which passed both chambers of the legislature was carried over to 2024 awaiting final funding and enactment.

The American Lung Association in Maine will continue to work with our coalition partners - the Maine Public Health Association, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and others to advance tobacco control and prevention policies and defend our successful programs and smokefree policies against rollbacks. As the legislature begins its work in 2024, the Lung Association will continue to grow our coalition to educate policymakers, business leaders and the media of the importance of the Lung Association’s goals to reduce tobacco use and protect public health.