Interessengemeinschaft ExRaucher
ExRaucher (IG)
Die Interessengemeinschaft hat den Zweck der Förderung der Allgemeinheit durch Aufklärung über das E-Dampfen (Konsum von elektronischen Zigaretten).
ID: 877053136906-06
Lobbying Activity
Response to Tobacco taxation – revision of EU rules
1 Jan 2021
Interessengemeinschaft ExRaucher is a non-commercial, independent consumer organization advocating e-vaping and tobacco harm reduction. It is a partner of the European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA).
An additional tax on mobile liquid vaporizers (e-cigarettes) and/or liquids is counterproductive in terms of health policy. As studies have shown, the introduction of a tax leads to a migration back from e-vaping to tobacco smoking. This, however, would counteract the FCTC's goals of tobacco control.
In an American study, it was shown that the tobacco tax and an e-cigarette tax interact. An increase in tobacco tax led to a decrease in tobacco use and a concurrent increase in e-cigarette use, which was 95% less harmful. On the other hand, however, an increase in taxes on e-vapor products led to a decrease in consumption with a concomitant increase in tobacco use.
Furthermore, high e-cigarette taxes lead to a growing black market. However, this poses significant health risks because the products sold there are not subject to any controls. In addition, a black market undermines the protection of youth because illegal dealers also do not comply with the laws on the protection of youth. The introduction of a high liquid tax in Italy in 2015 made it clear that a black market can develop in a very short time, which is why the tax was very quickly withdrawn. Currently, the taxes on liquids introduced in Estonia in 2018 have also been suspended because they led to a rapid growth of the black market and the import of liquids from abroad, which is prohibited in Estonia.
E-cigarettes are currently the best method to break tobacco addiction and are at least twice as effective as NRT. This is despite the continued negative press and misinformation of the public. An additional tax would counteract the opportunity to reduce tobacco addiction. The argument of protecting young people is not valid, because taxes are in principle not suitable to prevent young people from experimenting with stimulants, but taxation would almost exclusively be at the expense of responsible adults.
In order to enable harmonization within the EU, the setting of a very low (ideally zero) maximum tax rate should be considered.
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