NNA: New Tax Is Misguided
The Chancellor’s new vape tax proposals are a misguided assault on quitting smoking, according to vape advocacy charity the New Nicotine Alliance
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by Dave Cross
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Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a ridiculous and hefty tax on vaping during the Budget speech last week. It followed through on ex-Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s plans to hit vapers and tobacco harm reduction. Vape advocacy charity the New Nicotine Alliance has responded by saying the Chancellor’s new vape tax proposals are a misguided assault on quitting smoking.
When plans to attack vapes by placing a sin tax on eliquid were first mooted by Jeremy Hunt’s office, the New Nicotine Alliance called it “wrong in principle and childlike in application,” calling the plans rushed, flawed and demonstrating a lack of understanding about vaping and why it works as a smoking cessation method.
The New Nicotine Alliance writes on its website: “It was to be hoped that a new government would take time to consider the problems that would arise as a result and study the subject more seriously. However, the new government appears to be as ill-informed as the last and likely swayed more by tabloid rhetoric than sober, evidence-based research. The new government promised change, but little has changed for the better.
“On the plus side, the government has commendably abandoned the three-tier approach to taxation which would financially disadvantage higher strength liquids most used by people switching from combustible cigarettes. It instead proposes a flat rate of tax, but that is where the common sense ends.”
On Friday, Planet of the Vapes looked at the Vape Club website to gauge how the new tax is going to impact vapers:
Premium brand users
For anyone using juices such as Five Pawns Grandmaster, retailing at £5.99, the tax rise will equate to 37% - and a final price of £8.19.
Budget deal users
Vapers buying 4 bottles for £10 will see a tax rise equating to 88%, having to now pay £18.80.
Those buying budget juices will be the worst hit for those buying nicotine containing eliquids. 88 Vape Liquids cost £1 per 10ml bottle, this will go up to £3.20, a tax rise equating to 220%.
Shortfill users
But it is the shortfill users who are going to be slammed the hardest
A Joe's Juice 200ml bottle of nicotine-free Passion Fruit Guava & Kiwi currently costs £14.99 – this will rise by £44.00 to £58.99.
The cheapest nicshot (£1) will rise to £3.20; the final price of the shortfill plus shots will come to £71.79 – a tax hike of 378%
The New Nicotine Alliance continues: “Once again, we have a government which rightly continues to promote supplying one million free vapes to smokers, only to then disincentivise those who take up the offer by applying heavy duties to the liquids they need to actually use them.
“As in the previous version of the vape duty, there is no appreciation of the vast difference in risk between combustible tobacco and vaping products. The government’s response to the vape duty consultation, which took place before the election, was published to coincide with the budget announcement and makes the same mistake as many commentators in seeing nicotine as the problem, rather than combustion.”
A full breakdown of the New Nicotine Alliance’s objections to the new tax can be found on its website.
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.
