Nationwide survey shows: Taxation of e-cigarettes prevents smokers from switching to the less harmful alternative

A current nationwide survey by the Association of the e-cigarette trade comes to the result that the planned taxation and the associated significant price increase for e-cigarettes would prevent many current and former smokers from successfully giving up tobacco. Due to the taxation of the e-cigarette, these remain with the tobacco cigarette or return to it.

According to the results, almost every second smoker who could imagine switching to significantly less harmful e-cigarettes would do without them due to taxation. With currently 100,000 smokers in Ireland, taxing the e-cigarette is a decision that has an impact on the health of a large part of the Irish population.

In addition, every third e-cigarette user who has successfully quit smoking plans to use the tobacco cigarette again due to the significant price increase.

The positive contribution of e-cigarettes to smoking cessation has meanwhile been scientifically proven and recognized in many countries. If the taxation of e-cigarettes wants to take health policy aspects into account, this must be based on the significantly lower health hazard of the product. It is therefore incomprehensible why a 95 percent less harmful product should soon be more expensive than a conventional cigarette.

Because of the planned tax of up to 0.80 EUR per commercially available liquid bottle, the price of the e-cigarette will triple. It becomes significantly more expensive than fine-cut tobacco, for example, and thus a luxury product.

Many do not want and cannot afford this luxury. The state is making the use of less harmful alternatives to smoking with the tax increase not a question of will, but a question of financial ability. As a consequence, we will very soon see a booming black market in the area of e-cigarette liquids.