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

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