Would it surprise New Hampshire Democrats to discover that taxing vaping products is a bad idea? That the marketing by the FDA and CDC is disingenuous. Or, that vaping is lowering cancer rates and that their tax might benefit Big Tobacco?
Lies, Damnded Lies, and Taxes
The first and most egregious lie is that there is a vaping epidemic among teenagers. It assumes, probably for the hyperbolic benefit, that teenagers are acquiring vaping products and using nicotine. That they will get addicted. That this will lead to smoking actual cigarettes.
But what if adding the tax makes smoking cigarettes either competitively priced or cheaper?
Most vaping options are more affordable depending on habits and the local taxes on tobacco. More premium devices and liquids can come close to the cost of using tobacco. The significance of this is that while nicotine is addicting in both delivery systems, vaping doesn’t cause cancer.
And vaping may be reducing cancer.
Vaping and Cancer
Vaping’s rise can be connected to a decline in smoking-related cancer. People addicted to cigarettes (of all ages) can use vaping to get nicotine without cancer-causing agents. Many use vaping to help them quit altogether.
The American Cancer Society has done its annual compilation of the numbers and announced that incidents of certain types of cancer were down in 2018. And not just down by a little, either. The biggest decreases have been among African-Americans, who typically do worse than whites. Of specific interest are the lung cancer numbers, where significant progress has been made. (ACA)
If health risks are truly a concern adding a tax that encourages users to switch to cigarettes is the wrong message.
Vaping Epidemic? What Epidemic?
The FDA and CDC have been trying to sell vaping as if it were tobacco. As noted above they are not the same product. One causes cancer; the other can help prevent it.
That’s not to say that communities should not consider limiting access to adults and enforcing that limitation. But the idea that there is a teen vaping epidemic doesn’t hold water.
The data show only 2.5 percent of high school students (16 percent of “current” users) reported vaping on 20 or more days in the previous month, and nearly all were former or current smokers.
That’s not an epidemic, it is not even a cause for concern. Yes, some young people will be idiots and start smoking, but the number of them who started with vaping and switched to cigarettes are in the statistical noise range.
Nor does the idea that a tax will reduce teen usage.
Where are the “Bodies?”
If vaping leads to smoking why isn’t tobacco use on the rise? It’s not. People are leaving tobacco for safer nicotine delivery systems. Vaping. A trend that can’t be ignored.
So, the major players in tobacco are heavily invested in vaping. As their domestic tobacco market share disappears, they are marching their millions into this new market. An industry with more than 7700 flavors and over 450 brands. The majority of these are small operations. Taxes could hurt their sales while Big Tobacco can absorb regulatory costs and taxes and keep on building market share. There are even rumors that Big Tobacco has lobbied to convince the government (and the FDA and CDC) to call vaping and tobacco synonymous. Why? So, Democrats will tax and regulate competitors out of existence.
Which means the only bodies will be those of small businesses stamped out by Democrat’s by unnecessary regulatory force.
What NH Democrats Did
HB680 passed out of the New Hampshire House last week with support from 94% of Democrats. All four Democrats in my town of Merrimack voted for the tax. It pretends that cigarettes and vaping are similar threats to public health and are in need of taxation. That is a lie.
Vaping helps people quit smoking. It is non-cancerous. And there is no teen epidemic.
But by taxing vaping products, Democrats are increasing the odds people will switch to tobacco and probably helping Big Tobacco make big money (on both) at the expense of their vaping competitors. They may also be rolling back progress made thanks to vaping on reducing cancer.
Nice Job Democrats.
Enjoy your “increased” revenue. If, in fact, that ever actually materializes.
