AUGUSTA — Peter Bridgman of Yarmouth worked the State House halls Tuesday, hoping to drum up support for a cigarette tax increase and a bill to require insurance companies to cover specialized cancer testing.

The Yarmouth resident, who receives chemotherapy twice a month for his multiple myeloma, said he hopes the $1 per pack increase will keep teens from picking up the smoking habit.

“We’re hoping that will stop hundreds or even thousands of Maine teenagers from starting a tobacco habit, which they’ll get addicted to,” he said shortly after speaking with his local senator.

Bridgman was one of more than 20 volunteers with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network who spoke to lawmakers as they filed into the House and Senate to begin their workday.

Shortly before starting the day, the group heard words of encouragement from House Majority Leader Matt Moonen (D-Portland) who supports the cigarette tax hike and Rep. Sam Zager (D-Portland), a physician who is sponsoring the bill on the specialized cancer testing.

Zager said the specialized testing, also known as biomarker testing, helps physicians plan an effective course of treatment. The legislation seeks to require all types of insurance and MaineCare to cover the cost of the tests.

“All of them would provide coverage for biomarker testing so that the right treatment would be delivered to the right patient, at the right time in the right manner,” he said.

The precision tests could also help save money by letting physicians know which types of chemotherapy or other treatments would be most effective for that specific patient.

On the cigarette tax, Gov. Janet Mills proposed the increase in her original budget. Democrats passed part of the budget last week, but did not include the cigarette tax increase.

Moonen cited statistics that show Maine has the highest rate of adult smoking in New England and the second highest high school smoking rate.

“We are way behind our neighbors in this part of the country in combatting tobacco,” he said.

States decide their own tax rates for cigarettes, with the current national average coming in at $1.93 per pack, according to the American Lung Association.

Maine currently adds a $2 per pack tax, with Connecticut at $4.35, Massachusetts at $3.51, New Hampshire at $1.78, Rhode Island at $4.25 and Vermont at $3.08, according to the lung association.

Moonen said the increase will discourage youth from smoking and encourage adults to quit.

“As policymakers we have the benefit side-effect of reducing health care costs which is beneficial to taxpayers, beneficial to our health care system,” he said.