New tax on vaping takes effect to cut appeal to young people and non-smokers

Mark Oates, founder of We Vape, believes new tax on vaping taking effect to cut the appeal to young people and non-smokers could have a negative impact.

He said: “Taxing the product that gets smokers off cigarettes, then calling it child protection, confuses two different problems.

“It is now widely agreed that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking.

“Cochrane – the world’s leading independent reviewer of medical evidence – has shown regulated nicotine vapes help more smokers quit than patches and gum, so if the Government believed the science, it would make the safer option cheaper, not more expensive.

“A tax increase does not target youth. It hits adult switchers, especially poorer smokers.

“Youth access is an enforcement problem. We need age checks, licensing and an assault on black market products and suppliers. All this duty will do is push some vapers back to tobacco and others onto the unregulated product. That is the opposite of harm reduction.”