E-cigs must not be used as a cash grab
ACT Leader David Seymour welcomes moves toward legalising nicotine e-cigarettes, but says the government must pledge not
to put excise taxes on the products.
"Taxing vapers the way we tax smokers would destroy the benefit of legalising e-cigarettes," says Mr Seymour. "There's
currently a strong financial incentive for smokers to switch to vaping. Taxing e-cigarettes would discourage smokers
from switching from a harmful product to a relatively safe one.
"Punitively taxing e-cigarette products would also generate a financial burden to vapers, who may in turn pass on costs
to their family budget.
"Ultimately, it would be another cash grab from a government that often seems more interested in generating new forms of
revenue than addressing wasteful spending."
ENDS