CCAGW Urges Maine Joint Health and Human Services Committee to Oppose H.P. 1258
State Action
February 2, 2022
Maine Joint Health and Human Services Committee
Maine State Capitol
Augusta, Maine 04330
Dear Legislator,
On behalf of the more than 9,516 members and supporters of Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) in Maine, I urge you to oppose H.P. 1258. As noted in a February 1, 2022, article in The WasteWatcher by CCAGW Director of Health and Science Policy Christina Herrin, “Maine’s Proposed Flavor Ban Won’t Improve Public Health,” a ban on “flavored tobacco harm reduction products (THR) will not improve public health. It will open the door to a black market and increase sales in neighboring states that do not have a flavor ban, and even worse it will increase the number of smokers who will either not stop smoking cigarettes or transition back to traditional cigarettes.”
Tobacco harm reduction products have proven to be effective in helping adult smokers quit using combustible cigarettes. Instead of recognizing the value of these products in reducing the number of smokers, many states have instituted regressive taxes, strict regulations, complete prohibitions, and flavor bans on harm reduction products. Mitigating future deaths by making it easier for smokers to transition to less harmful products like e-cigarettes should not be a difficult decision. Maine should not become the next state to make the unfortunate decision to limit consumer access to flavored tobacco products.
If you have any questions about this report, please contact CAGW State Government Affairs Associate Ryan Lanier at rlanier@cagw.org.
Sincerely,
Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW
