When I was a young girl, I smoked cigarettes. I had easy access because all my family smoked cigarettes. By the time I was in seventh grade, I was addicted to nicotine. When I turned 23, my physician told me, “If you don’t stop smoking, by the time you are 30, you will have emphysema.” I heard him loud and clear, but it took me a year, with several failed attempts, to finally quit.

It is vital that Maine has a tobacco prevention and cessation program — especially to help children avoid tobacco products. Cigarettes, vapes, oral nicotine pouches, and chewing tobacco are being used every day by Maine children. Many of these tobacco products are flavored to attract children. Maine is the only state in the nation that funds its tobacco prevention and cessation programs at the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These programs educate adults and children about the dangers of tobacco. The programs also help those experiencing addiction to quit, and reduce the toll of tobacco-related illnesses, including heart disease and stroke in the state.

The governor’s proposal to increase the tobacco tax is critical. Research shows higher prices discourage children from starting tobacco use while the tax encourages adults to quit. I hope you and others will support me in encouraging legislators to continue funding Maine’s preventative programs for tobacco use and smoking cessation. Maine residents are counting on us!

Deborah J. Ripley

Topsham