USA: pressure groups in Ohio demand a vaping tax

 USA: pressure groups in Ohio demand a vaping tax

Photo: pxhere

Public health advocates have been pressuring the government to implement taxes for e-cigarettes. They are also demanding significant funds to carry out anti-smoking and smoking-prevention campaigns, and are further asking that Ohio adopt a law that makes it illegal to sell tobacco to those under 21 years old.

In Ohio, 21.1% of the population smokes, which is a significantly higher percentage than the national average (15.5% according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)). The public health consequences are noticeable: the number of pregnant women who smoke in the USA is 7.2%, compared to 14.4% in Ohio, where infant mortality and lung cancer rates are particularly high. In 2016, tobacco-related illnesses were responsible for 20,180 deaths, a considerably higher number than the 3,497 opiate-related overdoses.

Photo: pxhere

The Vaping tax: a popular but controversial subject

Jeff Stephens from the American Cancer Society wants Governor Mike DeWine to take preventative measures to fight tobacco addiction. Each year Ohio spends $12.5 million to fight tobacco addiction (over the last ten years, this number has dropped by over $22.5 million).

However, tobacco has been taxed in Ohio since 1893, and this Mid-western state reports significant gains from the $1.60 tax that comes with each packet sold. In the 2018 fiscal year, cigarette and other tobacco-related taxes brought in over $940 million to the state government. Vaping products are not subject to the same taxes, even though half of the population believes they should be, according to a 2018 study carried out by Ohio Health Issues Survey.

For Doug Kellogg, director of Americans for Tax Reform State, taxing electronic cigarettes would be a mistake because vaping is far less harmful than tobacco. Nonetheless, certain studies have shown that the consumption of nicotine is harmful to developing teenage brains.

Victoria

Victoria est une amatrice passionnée de vape depuis les premiers mods mécaniques. Elle apporte à BlogVape son expertise juridique sur la vape en France et ailleurs.

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