UK vaping tax expected to be announced in March that will see prices soar for Brits

It’s bad news for vapers as it’s possible prices are going to soar in the UK in the coming months.

This potential hike in price might be enough for some to ditch the disposable bars as many have already given up the habit as their New Years’ resolution.

A crackdown on vapes in the UK already seems to be under way, with Elf Bar already having dropped the sweet flavours of all its vape products.

It’s said there will be a new tax on vaping, with the Sunday Mirror reporting the cost of vaping liquid will increase by at least a quarter.

This price hike plan will likely be unveiled in the Budget in March as it’s believed Ministers will be keen to push ahead with it to make it harder for teens to get hold of vapes.

Back in March of last year, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told LADbible: “Smoking kills, so our priority is to prevent people smoking, and supporting them to quit…

“However, while vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, we are concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products.

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“We are exploring a range of measures to address this - including clamping down on children accessing vapes illegally, and those who are getting them hooked on nicotine.

“It’s right for the government to do all it can to protect children from addiction.”

After a public consultation on ways to tackle youth vaping closed towards the end of 2023, a government source told the Sunday Mirror it was now ‘almost inevitable’ that a tax on vaping will be introduced in the Spring Budget.

That gets announced on 6 March by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

It’s reported the UK will look to copy European countries which already have levies on vape, like Germany and Italy.

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Typically, a vaper gets through a 10ml bottle of e-liquid a week, at about £4 on average.

In Germany, there’s a £1.40 vape tax on these bottles, and in Italy – the first country to tax e-cigarette fluid – charges a £1.10 levy on those 10ml bottles.

The NHS previously confirmed how many cigarettes one disposable vape is equivalent to, saying it delivers a similar amount of nicotine as 20 ciggies.

It's no secret the government have been encouraging smokers to switch to vaping, but if the tax goes ahead, there are 'warnings' it will 'punish' those who have swapped smoking for vaping, according to The Mirror.

However, it is said that even with the tax on vaping, vaping will remain the 'cheaper' option, according to ministers, to make sure 'there is a significant differential between duty on vapes and tobacco products'.

Apparently, 600 puffs of a vape should last between one and two days with moderate to heavy use.

So, next time you're blasting through an e-cig in 48 hours, remember you've essentially gone through an entire 20 deck.

Topics: Vaping, Money, UK News

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_