Vape Tax Hike The Final Nail In Vapers and Smokers Coffins?
A proposed vape tax hike could be the final and devastating knock out blow to an already on the ropes American vaping scene.
The Biden administration seems hell bent on destroying vaping as we know it, and the proposed vape tax hike looks likely to finish off any remaining products left standing after the carnage that is the PMTA process.
I’m not that good with numbers, however, even I can see that the words ‘out of proportion‘ doesn’t even begin to cover it.
In a nutshell, Biden wants to see tax on vaping products using nicotine as a baseline, and that means costs will soar bringing prices in line, or even higher, than lit tobacco.
Cleverer folk than me have drilled into the numbers and suggest that nicotine would be taxed at $100.66 per 1,810 mg equating to a tax rise of over $2 per pod, such as those used in JUUL.
Bottles of e-liquid containing nicotine would see substantial – OK ridiculous – rises too.
Just how much will taxes go up on e-cigarettes and vapor products, based on the House Dem. tax proposal?
A 30 ml bottle of e-liquid with 3mg of nicotine would be taxed at $5. A 30 ml 12 mg bottle, taxed at $20.02.
JUUL? $9.18 per 4-pack.
Cigarettes taxed at $2.02/pack.
— Paul Blair (@gopaulblair) September 13, 2021
For instance, a 60ml bottle of vape juice would have an astronomic $40 slapped on the price – crazy doesn’t even begin to cover the plan!
Even your average 30ml bottle of nicotine based e-liquid would see a major rise of $10 for 6mg…
It’s all part of Biden’s ‘grand plan‘ to fill the government’s coffers with a close to $4 trillion cash grab, but the proposed vape tax hike seems particularly nasty.
As I said, if the PMTA process doesn’t decimate vaping in the states, this tax increase could leave vapers struggling to afford to go on.
As many insiders have pointed out, the rise – including lit tobacco products – will affect the lower sociology-economic groups meaning the poorer in society and those most like to vape and smoke.
Given the planned increase technically makes smoking cheaper, and given there may not be many vape options left to smokers looking to quit, once again the winners are Big Tobacco and Pharma if the bill is passed.
Vape Tax Hike – the Fight Back Begins
Advocacy group, Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association [CASAA] is leading the fight to stop the proposed vape tax hike.
It has a dedicated page with an easy to use form calling on your member of congress to reject the bill.
CASAA says:
…the tax on demonstrably less harmful products like vaping, snus, and smokeless tobacco would be the same as the tax on cigarettes – the most harmful tobacco product.
In addition to taxing all nicotine and tobacco products as if they were a cigarette, the provision increases the Federal tax on cigarettes by 100%, and raises all other tobacco taxes up to this new level.
…The Ways & Means Committee is still hashing out the details of the larger tax proposal, so now is the time to start contacting your federal officials and urge them to reject this dangerous tax.
The bill still has a way to go, but as you can see, CASAA says vapers in the USA must act now.
Head to the CASAA call to action page now and send that form: Stop an Excessive Federal Tax on Safer Nicotine Products
Charlie Says They’re Still Standing!
As the PMTA process stalls, one globally popular e-liquid brand says it’s still in the fight.
Charlie’s Holdings, manufacturers of the extremely popular Charlie’s Chalk Dust vape just – among many others – says it’s confident in its PMTA submissions.
The company has spent around $5 million on the process and say its evidence ticks all the boxes the FDA requires.
The main reason so many PMTA applications have been refused is down to what the bureaucrats are calling a failure to show individual vape products and juice are:
appropriate for the protection of the public health
Charlie’s Holdings say they have gone above and beyond the scientific evidence required and is confident the FDA will see them as both distinguished and suitable for approval.
Chief operating offer, Ryan Stump, said:
In addition to human clinical trials that measured the nicotine delivery efficiency of the Company’s products via pharmacokinetic studies, Charlie’s PMTA’s include product-specific, scientific evidence that demonstrates the marketing of Charlie’s products meets the statutory standard of ‘appropriate for the protection of the public health.’
This is an important reason why we are highly confident that the FDA will recognize Charlie’s PMTA submissions as both distinguished and suitable for approval.
As a result of the painstaking efforts we invested in our PMTA’s, when others are forced to withdraw their products from the market, Charlie’s will be one of a very select group still legally allowed to operate in the flavored nicotine product space.
We look forward to the competitive advantage – and to the corresponding increases in sales, profits, and market share – that will result from our steadfast commitment to providing Charlie’s customers with a trusted product portfolio in full regulatory compliance.
Let’s hope so…and I really hope this announcement hasn’t ‘jumped the gun‘ if you catch my drift…
Vape Bus Tour Keeps Rolling…
The World Vapers Alliance vape bus tour is hitting the headlines everywhere it parks up!
It’s part of the Back Vaping. Beat Smoking campaign, and has already visited Barcelona, Lyon, Stuttgart, Munich, with many other stops along the way.
It seems everywhere it goes it attracts a crowd and most importantly smokers looking to quit.
WVA director Michael Landl says:
The Vape Bus has been amazingly powerful in spreading the word that vaping is the most successful tool to help smokers quit.
Just take a look at the massive media headlines we have had from campaign.
People are starting to wake up to the benefits of vaping to stop smoking…we just need to get policy-makers to do the same.
Vapers across the globe are urged to sign up to the campaign and let politicians and policy makers know the true benefits to public health from vaping.
Sign up to the Back Vaping. Beat Smoking campaign now.
Note: the vape bus will be visiting Brussels TODAY – Wednesday September 15th – pop along and say hi if you’re about 😉
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More vaping news on Sunday!
