Poland’s Setback Tax
Poland’s new tax hike on vaping represents a complete setback for tobacco harm reduction efforts, according to the World Vapers' Alliance
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
The World Vapers' Alliance (WVA) has said that it strongly opposes the Polish government’s decision to implement a new raise excise taxes on heated tobacco products and e-liquids for vaping. The government is aiming to reduce price differential between tobacco products and their substitutes to limit their consumption – thereby removing one main incentive for smokers to switch and quit smoking.
Under Poland’s new rules, eliquids for vaping will face a significant and unjustifiable hike in tax, similar to heated tobacco products, making vaping more expensive and less attractive to switch to. The World Vapers' Alliance says that increasing taxes on vaping products often leads to unintended consequences.
“Numerous studies have shown that when the price of e-liquids rises, many users, especially young adults, switch back to traditional cigarettes. This cross-price effect undermines public health efforts by increasing smoking rates instead of reducing them,” stated the organisation.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, emphasised: “Taxation must be proportional to the risks of products. Vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking, yet this tax treats it similarly, undermining public health. Smokers should be incentivised to switch, not pushed back to cigarettes due to higher prices.”
Research also shows that higher taxes on less harmful nicotine products discourages smokers from switching, a problem that particularly affects low and middle-income groups.
As for users, when faced with increased vaping costs, many turn to smoking, reversing the positive health outcomes seen in harm reduction-focused countries like the UK and Sweden.
Alberto Gómez Hernández, Policy Manager at the World Vapers’ Alliance, added: “Raising taxes on less harmful alternatives is counterproductive. It risks deterring smokers from switching, ultimately costing lives. A risk-based approach to taxation is crucial to achieving meaningful public health outcomes.”
The World Vapers’ Alliance is urging the Polish government to reconsider its approach and adopt taxation policies that reflect the reduced risk of vaping compared to smoking, ensuring that safer alternatives remain affordable and accessible.
The World Vapers’ Alliance says it amplifies the voice of vapers worldwide and empowers them to make a difference in their communities.
“Our members are vapers associations and individual vapers from all over the world,” it states.
Michael Landl is the director of the World Vapers’ Alliance. He is from Austria and is based in Vienna. He is an experienced policy professional and a passionate vaper. He studied at the University of St. Gallen and worked for several public policy outlets and as well in the German Parliament.
References:
- The World Vapers’ Alliance - www.worldvapersalliance.com
- Intended and unintended effects of e-cigarette taxes on youth tobacco use - https://scholars.uky.edu/en/publications/intended-and-unintended-effects-of-e-cigarette-taxes-on-youth-tob
- Rząd przyjął projekt ustawy zmieniający akcyzę na wyroby tytoniowe, nowatorskie oraz płyn do papierosów elektronicznych - https://www.gov.pl/web/finanse/rzad-przyjal-projekt-ustawy-zmieniajacy-akcyze-na-wyroby-tytoniowe-nowatorskie-oraz-plyn-do-papierosow-elektronicznych
Photo Credit:
Photo by Lukasz Radziejewski on Unsplash
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
