WaTimes: The debate over taxing e-cigarette products could pick up in the new year as public health officials look for innovative ways to curb the teen vaping epidemic.
An estimated 3.6 million youth reported vaping or using e-cigarettes in the past year, representing the fastest increase of an illegal substance among teenagers, according to the most recent federal data.
States with high taxes on cigarettes have seen a decrease in smoking in general and among youth in particular. Yet since 2007, when e-cigarettes first came on the market, states have varied in classifying and restricting the devices.
At least nine states and eight municipalities have taxes on e-cigarettes and vaping products, ranging from levying $0.05 per milliliter of vaping liquid to taxing 95 percent of the wholesale price, which can add up to $4 dollars on vaping products.
This month, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert supported adding an e-cigarette tax in the next budget with the explicit intent of curbing youth vaping numbers.
“Use of electronic cigarettes by youth has grown at an alarming rate,” the budget report states, adding that youth vaping has increased to more than 11 percent over the past three years while remaining at less than 5 percent among adults.
“The Governor recommends treating electronic cigarette liquid, devices, and paraphernalia the same as traditional tobacco products under Utah’s tax code,” the budget report states.
In November, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order directing agencies to evaluate taxing e-cigarette products to curb youth use.
“Price increases are a proven tool for protecting youth use, but Colorado currently ranks 39th among states in cigarette taxes and does not extend any excise taxes to vaping products,” Mr. Hickenlooper wrote in the order.
There is little research on how increasing prices on e-cigarette devices affect youth vaping trends. An analysis by the Colorado Health Institute found one study that showed an increase in price was associated with lower rates of use by teens across the U.S.
But the analysis also pointed out that in Minnesota, the first state to tax e-cigarettes, at 95 percent of wholesale, saw an increase of 49 percent in youth use of vaping products between 2014 and 2017. The Colorado researchers suggested the increase occurred because of teens turning to online purchases. more here
When to tell kids not to do something, what are they going to do?
They want to take all guns away because of ‘the children’ yet they won’t ban all tobacco products.
And That Ain’t All…
Youth can goto Colorado and
buy some whacky-baccy juice for the vape
pen or the giant electronic Hi-tech vapor
hukka pipe featuring dual core high speed
processors,4 3.0 USB ports,10.1 channel surround
sound,THC % control,and UHD 1080p video.
There are anti-cigarette smoking ads everywhere, but none for marijuana.
They could use the money from the tax to buy e-cigarettes for the poor teenagers that can’t afford the.
That’s not why they want to tax it.
Use the tax to buy cigs for the poor old coots who live on ss and cant afford 7 bucks a pack anymore.
e-cigarettes?
Vaping?
Are you fukkin kidding?
What if the wee ones start sucking on pieces of chalk?
What about filtered chalk?
Or mentholated chalk?
No 100 Watt bulbs, no vaping, no 5 gal. flush toilets … WTF?
Anybody seen the Constitution? Where is it?
How is bureaucratic tyranny better than one-man dictatorial tyranny?
Baa … baa … baa
izlamo delenda est …
..as public health officials look for innovative ways to get in on the slice of the pie. They don’t GAF about health, except as how it might present an opportunity for more control.
If I feel better tomorrow, I’ll go off on a bit of a tear. One of the germ factories landed a vicious case of walking pneumonia on me. Which means I got in to see my beloved gunsmith Doc, and We Are Not Amused. Seriously.
Little Johnny: Hey Billy, lets go vape!
Little Billy: Aw, shucks Johnny… I really want to, but they raised the excise tax on those darn things.
Little Johnny: Gee whiz! OK, let’s go get some weed then.