Maine Tops New England For Smoking, New Lung Cancer Cases

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A new report from the American Lung Association says Maine has the highest rate of smokers in New England and one of the highest rates of new lung cancer diagnoses in the country.

The report states that Maine has the seventh-highest rate of the new diagnoses at 72.4 per 100,000 people.

The highest rate in the country was in Kentucky, where it was 91.4. Almost 18% of Maine people smoke, and that is 2.5 percentage points higher than the national average. The highest rate was in West Virginia, where more than a quarter of people smoke.

The American Lung Association says Maine should increase screenings for lung cancer.