Vapes will be hit by harsh new taxes under Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s new Budget that could see the price of the strongest e-cigarette fluid rise by up to £3.
The proposals will see non-nicotine vaping liquid hit by a £1 per 10ml tax, according to Treasury documents.
Liquid with a nicotine content less than one cigarette, about 11mg, will be hit by a £2 per 10ml rate.
Those stronger than a cigarette will be taxed at £3 per 10ml.
The Treasury estimates the levies will raise £445 million by 2028/29, which it says can then be reinvested into public services like the NHS.
But critics described the proposals as ‘scientifically and economically illiterate’.
Mr Hunt’s vape tax won’t take effect immediately with the levy only expected to be brought in 2026 following a consultation.
This would put implementing the measure after the next election and, therefore, under the purview of the next Government.
Reacting to the announcement Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the free market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs called it ‘deeply cynical cash grab’.
‘Forget sin taxes, this is a saint tax. Vapers did what the government wanted and gave up smoking. They are now being punished for it,’ he said,
‘This is scientifically and economically illiterate. Combined with the ban on disposable vapes, it seems the government is intent on keeping people smoking.
‘Not only will the tax close the price gap between vapes and cigarettes, it will send a message to the public that the health risks are similar.
‘Since most people in Britain already wrongly believe that vaping is at least as dangerous as smoking, the Government’s reckless greed will cost lives.
‘As a former health minister, Mr Hunt should be ashamed.’
Mr Snowden was referencing a recent study which showed 60 per cent of smokers think vapes are more harmful than cigarettes.
Despite Mr Hunt raising the price of cigarettes as well, ensuring vaping isn’t more expensive than smoking, some now fear it will still lead to fewer Brits making the switch.
Traditional smoking, which involves the burning of tobacco, has long been established as causing a host of health problems.
These include respiratory issues as well as increased risk of heart attack and strokes and developing multiple cancers.
While evidence surrounding the long-term health impacts of vaping are still unclear almost all experts agree it is safer than traditional smoking.
E-cigs allow people to inhale nicotine in a vapour — which is produced by heating a liquid.
Unlike traditional cigarettes, they do not contain tobacco, nor do they produce tar or carbon — two of the most dangerous elements.
While widely viewed as safer than smoking, the long-term effects of vaping still remain a mystery.
Medics have expressed fear there could be a wave of lung disease, dental issues and even cancer in the coming decades in people who took up the habit at a young age.
Vapes are used by many ex-smokers as a smoking cessation tool, as they get can get their nicotine fix without the health impacts of traditional smoking.
Every year around 76,000 people in the UK die from smoking related illnesses.
The Government itself estimates that smoking costs the economy £17billion a year through lost productivity and knock-on effects to the NHS.
Other anti-vaping measures, designed to curb the rise of the habit in children, proposed by Government to reduce vaping in children have been welcomed by health experts.
These include a ban on disposable vapes – the weapon of choice for teenager vapers.
E-cigs are also set to be limited to a handful of flavours, sold in plain, tobacco-style packaging and displayed out of sight of kids under PM Rishi Sunak’s ambitious plans.
It will mean the end of bubblegum ‘clouds’ and predatory packaging designed to make vapes look like highlighter pens.
New ‘on the spot’ fines will be brought in for shops illegally selling vapes to children.
Shocking stats show a quarter of today’s children have tried puffing on the nicotine-laden gadgets that litter shops across the country.
What’s worse, a tenth are now regular users, sparking fears of a future health crisis given the mystery surrounding the long-term safety of e-cigarettes.
