What the 2024 Budget means for vaping
Written by William Jackson Pollock on 7th March 2024
The UK government stated it plans to introduce a new tax on vapes and vaping products alongside a plan to ban disposable vapes to try and tackle the epidemic of children vaping.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stated in the 2024 Budget that a new duty for vaping products will come into action by October 2026.
The proposal states that the amount of duty will be dependent on the nicotine content of the vape liquid, with £1 per 10ml for nicotine-free liquids, £2 per 10ml for liquids that contain 0.1-10.9mg and £3 per 10ml for liquids that contain 11mg or more.
The government also plans to reduce the number of children vaping by having vapes share some of the characteristics of the sale of cigarettes, being moved behind the counter with reductions in the number of flavours and only being sold in plain packaging.
When asked about these proposals, Sunderland-based vape shop Vape With Us stated: “It’s a waste of time because it’s what gets people off cigarettes so it’s good for that. We don’t let people under 18 in here and we’re very very strict about that.”
According to the wellbeing charity, Action on Smoking and Health, the number of children vaping is now twice that of the number of children smoking, with 7.6% of 11- to 17-year-olds vaping compared to only 3.6% smoking cigarettes. The number of teenagers who vape has also increased by 4% since 2020.
In addition to this, it is estimated that around 5,000,000 disposable vapes are thrown away every week in the UK, making them a significant contributor to climate change. Environmental organisation City to Sea stated, “With disposable vapes, as with so many products, pollution via single-use products can be easily avoided by opting for more reusable alternatives.”
Those looking for more information on the potential health risks related to vape products can visit the NHS website where you can also find out about their “swap to stop” programme.
