Tobacco use in Maine 2021

• In 2020, 16.5% of adults smoked. Nationally, the rate was 15.5%.¹
• In 2019, 6.8% of high school students in Maine smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 6.0%.²

• In 2019, 4.1% of adults in Maine used e-cigarettes.
• In 2020, 2.7% of adults in Maine used smokeless tobacco.³
• In 2019, 30.2% of high school students in Maine used electronic vapor products on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 32.7%.²
• In 2019, 4.0% of high school students in Maine used chewing tobacco, snuff or dip on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 3.8%.²
• In 2019, 5.0% of high school students in Maine smoke cigars, cigarillos or little cigars on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 5.7%.²

• Maine received $190.3 million (estimated) in revenue from tobacco settlement payments and taxes in fiscal year 2021.⁴
• Of this, the state allocated $13.9 million in state funds to tobacco prevention in fiscal year 2021, 87.4% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual spending target.⁴
• Smoking-related health care costs: $811 million per year.⁴
• Smoking-related losses in productivity: $647 million per year.⁵

Tobacco taxes

• Maine is ranked 19th in the U.S. for its cigarette tax of $2.00 per pack (enacted September 2005), compared with the national average of $1.91. (The District of Columbia has the highest tax at $4.50 and Missouri has the lowest at 17 cents.)^6-8
• Smokeless tobacco, including chewing tobacco and snuff, is taxed at a minimum of $2.02 per ounce. Cigars, pipe tobacco and other smoking tobacco are taxed at 20% of the wholesale price.^6,7

Clean indoor air ordinances

• Smoking is prohibited in all government and private workplaces, schools, childcare facilities, restaurants, bars, retail stores and recreational/cultural facilities.^6,7
• Smoking restrictions are required in casinos/gaming establishments (tribal establishments are exempt).^6,7
• E-cigarettes are included in the state’s definition of smoking.⁹

Flavor restrictions

• The sale of cigars with characterizing flavors is banned. Characterizing flavor is defined as having a distinguishable taste or aroma of candy, chocolate, vanilla, fruit, berry, nut, herb, spice, honey or an alcoholic drink. Menthol is exempted. Premium cigars, defined as cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand cigars and wrapped in whole tobacco leaf, are exempt.¹⁰

Licensing laws

• Retailers and wholesalers are required to obtain a license to sell tobacco products.⁶
• A license is required to sell e-cigarette products.⁹

Youth access laws

• Effective December 2019, the United States adopted a law raising the federal minimum age of sale of all tobacco products to 21.  Some states have not yet raised their state minimum age of sale, however, the federal law takes precedence.
• While the federal law takes precedence, under the state law, the minimum sales age for Maine is 18.
• Establishments are required to post signs stating that sales to underage persons are prohibited.^6,7
• Underage persons are prohibited from buying tobacco products and electronic smoking devices, including e-cigarettes.^{6,7, 9}
• The sale or distribution of tobacco products to underage persons is prohibited (unless the person has attained 18 years of age as of July 1, 2018).⁹
• Employees of e-cigarette retailers must be at least 17 years of age; if employee’s age is between 17 and 21, he or she may only sell e-cigarettes in presence of supervisor at least 21 years old.⁹
• Self-service displays of tobacco products are prohibited except for sale of tobacco products in multi-unit packages of 10 or more units, in tobacco specialty stores or in locations inaccessible to persons under age 21.⁹
• Vending machine sales of tobacco products are restricted to locations inaccessible to persons under age 21.⁹
• Possession or use of tobacco products (including electronic cigarettes) is prohibited by prisoners at Department of Corrections facilities.⁹

• The CDC estimates 54.0% of daily adult smokers in Maine quit smoking for one or more days in 2098.³
• In 2014, the Affordable Care Act required that Medicaid programs cover all quit medications.⁷**
• Maine’s state quit line invests $28.76 per smoker, compared with the national average investment per smoker of $2.28.⁷
• Maine has no private insurance mandate provision for quitting tobacco.⁷

Updated August 2021

*National and state-level prevalence numbers reflect the most recent data available. This may differ across state fact sheets.

**The seven recommended quitting medications are NRT gum, NRT patch, NRT nasal spray, NRT inhaler, NRT lozenge, Varenicline (Chantix) and Bupropion (Zyban).

Fiore MC, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service: May 2008.

1. CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2020.

2. CDC, Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, 2019.

3. CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System, 2021.

4. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Broken Promises to Our Children: a State-by-State Look at the 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 22 Years Later FY2021, 2020.

5. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Toll of Tobacco in the United States.

6. American Lung Association, State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues (SLATI).

7. American Lung Association, State of Tobacco Control, 2021.

8. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. State Cigarette Excise Tax Rates & Rankings. https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0097.pdf. Accessed.

9. Public Health Law Center. U.S. E-Cigarette Regulation: 50-State Review. http://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/us-e-cigarette-regulations-50-state-review. Accessed.

10. Truth Initiative, Local restrictions on flavored tobacco and e-cigarette products. https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/local-restrictions-flavored-tobacco-and-e-cigarette.