The price of vapes is set to rise as a new tax comes into effect, with the aim of making vaping less attractive to children and young people. The Vaping Product Duty will be imposed at a rate of £2.20 per 10ml of e-liquid. However, many customers will not see a jump in prices immediately, as sellers have six months to sell old stock at the pre-duty price.
The government wants to reduce the appeal of vapes by making them more expensive, as more evidence of its adverse effect on health comes out, particularly on children and young people. The vaping industry has lobbied against the new tax, saying that affordable vapes help people to quit smoking. The duty will apply to all vaping products regardless of whether they contain nicotine.
Tobacco rates were also raised on Thursday, by £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or 50g of tobacco. HMRC said this maintains the financial incentive for smokers to switch to vaping. The BBC spoke to vapers in Reading who had mixed views on whether the new tax would encourage people to quit.
Mackenzie Bird, 19, has been a regular vaper for three years. She said she was "fine" with the duty and it wouldn't stop her from vaping. "I don't know how many people it'll actually deter," she said.
However, Cara Lewis-Rimes and Dylan Killner said they might reconsider the habit in light of higher prices. Cara said she thinks the changes will force vapers to cut down because of the cost of living. Dylan said he might be inclined to quit altogether.
"I don't think it's doing me any favours... the health factor around it as well is not great." HMRC is also launching a stamp for vaping products which are traceable throughout the supply chain. All vapes sold in the UK must carry this stamp from April. The new tax is also an effort to combat illicit trade, which is a growing problem on UK high streets.
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