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. 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. John Dunne, the director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said: "This is nothing short of a tax on public health." He said vapes had helped "millions of adults cut down on or stop smoking". Experts say vaping is much safer than smoking, but it is not risk free and the long-term effects are less clear. The NHS has said that children and non-smokers should never vape.
BBQ - What impact will this have on Vape manufacturers?
