In reference to the Sept. 29 editorial that stated “the $2 tax [on cigarettes] is good public health policy,” I am pondering what will be next for the good of public health.

Perhaps the legislators of Maine will recognize the impact of rampant alcoholism. Surely cirrhosis of the liver, leading to cancer, causes long-term medical costs. Was an exorbitant tax on beer and liquor considered?

Maybe a large tax on red meat, which wreaks havoc with cholesterol levels and contributes to heart disease and the long-term medical costs that follow. What about sugar, salt, coffee and butter?

I appreciate the need for taxes. However, the use of them for behavior modification seems dangerous territory.

Look out! Mother Maine is watching.

Juliann Place, East Dixfield