PETITION! Act now to stop the EU vape tax!

[MambaMan]

SIGN THIS PETITION - https://www.change.org/p/european-commission-act-now-to-stop-the-eu-vape-tax


The European Commission is holding a public consultation into the taxation of tobacco and vaping products, ending on 3rd September (1). Consumer associations and tobacco harm reduction organizations are issuing an urgent call for mobilization.

Answer the questionnaire >> Public consultation on excise duties applied to manufactured tobacco and the possible taxation of novel products.

Vaping has enabled more than 7.5 million Europeans to stop smoking and helped a further 9 million to reduce their cigarette consumption (2). Sin taxes (excise duties) are not justifiable on consumer products which are not tobacco products and which are far less harmful to health than combustible tobacco.

Any harmonization project should instead look to prohibiting the levy of excise duty on vaping products in the European Union. Vaping products do not contain tobacco and are not combustible. Vaping does not therefore produce smoke, carbon monoxide or tar, and vaping is at least 95% less harmful to health than smoking combustible cigarettes (3). Vaping products are not tobacco products and the users of vaping products should not have to suffer a punitive and unjustified tax.

Taxation on vaping products ultimately protects smoking, as is shown by the effects in the population in countries which have already introduced a taxation: Italy, Portugal, Greece, Estonia and Hungary. The results in these countries show that punitive taxation would undermine the measures introduced by the European Tobacco Directive (TPD), which was designed to protect people’s health (4).

In a recent similar consultation, in 2016, 89.88% of respondents rejected the suggestion of taxing vaping products. That should suffice!

We call on those concerned about public health, those concerned about the right of access to reduced risk products, including for the most disadvantaged, and those who want the right to protect their own health, to respond to the Commission's public consultation on the taxation of tobacco products and vaping. The consultation is available in the various languages. We are accompanying this appeal with an online petition to defend the right of access to tax-free vaping throughout Europe.

Acvoda (Netherlands)
Aiduce (France)
Anesvape (Spain)
ANPVU (Italy)
Cyprus Vaping Association (Cyprus)
DADAFO (Denmark)
IG-ED (Germany)
Initiativ Fräien Damp Lëtzebuerg (Luxembourg)
La vape du Coeur (France)
NNA Suitsuvaba Eesti (Estonia)
NNA Sweden (Sweden)
NNA UK (United Kingdom)
ÖDC (Austria)
Sovape (France)
UBV-BDB (Belgium)
Villanypára Egyesület (Hungary)

References:
(1) Public consultation on excise duties applied to manufactured tobacco and the possible taxation of novel products : https://ec.europa.eu/info/consultations/public-consultation-excise-duties-applied-manufactured-tobacco- and-possible-taxation-novel-products_en
(2) According to Eurobarometer 458, conducted in March 2017.
(3) Nicotine without smoke, Royal College of Physicians UK, 2016
(4) DIRECTIVE 2014/40/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products and repealing Directive 2001/37/EC

 

[MambaMan]

Signed!

#4083

 

[Rossum]

The results in these countries show that punitive taxation would undermine the measures introduced by the European Tobacco Directive (TPD), which was designed to protect people’s health

What? The TPD has somehow become a good thing in the view of whoever wrote this petition?

 

[Upinsmoke]

What? The TPD has somehow become a good thing in the view of whoever wrote this petition?

Well ... yeah actually.
On balance I'd rather be a vaper here in UK than in the land of the free where your government is slowly grinding its way towards legislation than could end up with laws banning all devices post August 2016 and possibly all non tobacco flavour juice.
At least here there is a legal framework for vaping even if some of the legislation is misguided.

 

[Rossum]

Well ... yeah actually.
On balance I'd rather be a vaper here in UK than in the land of the free where your government is slowly grinding its way towards legislation than could end up with laws banning all devices post August 2016 and possibly all non tobacco flavour juice.
At least here there is a legal framework for vaping even if some of the legislation is misguided.

I respectfully disagree. I need to go to Europe for a trade show in September and I'm mildly worried about bringing a few 30ml bottles of liquid with me. I suppose I could bring a Juul and some pods instead. No wait, that's illegal too due to due to the nic strength in the pods.

 

[Upinsmoke]

I respectfully disagree. I need to go to Europe for a trade show in September and I'm mildly worried about bringing a few 30ml bottles of liquid with me. I suppose I could bring a Juul and some pods instead. No wait, that's illegal too due to due to the nic strength in the pods.

Your stance makes no sense .
You know legislation is coming. You also know it is going to be more draconian that TPD. Don't kid yourself.
Oh by the way which country has the problem of school kids shooting for a nicotine high ?

 

[Rossum]

Your stance makes no sense .
You know legislation is coming.

No, we have no legislation pending. We had legislation that was passed in 2009, which authorized regulations that were finalized in 2016. However, the most damaging part of those regulations have been delayed until 2022, and most parts that are already in effect are not being enforced. In any case, we are not reduced to buying e-liquid in 10ml bottles, at a strength no greater than 20 mg/ml.

You also know it is going to be more draconian that TPD.

Maybe. We shall see. But it certainly isn't at present.

Oh by the way which country has the problem of school kids shooting for a nicotine high ?

Utter hype.

PS: Free Tommy!

 

[Izan]

Moving to the OUTSIDE in 3....2....1....

Enough Gentleman.
OUR inability to acknowledge our similarities is encouraged by those that profit from our distraction.

Is there not a school yard game being played by millionaires on television today?

Cheers
I

 

[ScottP]

Is there not a school yard game being played by millionaires on television today?

Seriously, I don't watch much TV, so I have no idea.

 

[Upinsmoke]

No, we have no legislation pending. We had legislation that was passed in 2009, which authorized regulations that were finalized in 2016. However, the most damaging part of those regulations have been delayed until 2022, and most parts that are already in effect are not being enforced. In any case, we are not reduced to buying e-liquid in 10ml bottles, at a strength no greater than 20 mg/ml.


Maybe. We shall see. But it certainly isn't at present.


Utter hype.

PS: Free Tommy!

Time will be the judge .
In the meantime perhaps you could sign the petition.
I hope your reference to Tommy is the generic . Not a certain Mr Robinson .
Tell me why there are freezers full of nicotine from one side of USA to the other.

 

[ScottP]

In the meantime perhaps you could sign the petition.

People from the outside of the EU should NOT sign the petition. Petition signatures only count from people living in the area affected by a given petition. Outside signatures will be discarded once the petition is sent over and validated. If you lose too many sigs from disqualification then the petition will be dismissed. So you are better off not collecting sigs that will be discarded anyway. That way you have a more accurate understanding of how many legitimate sigs that you have.

This goes for any petition, anywhere.

 

[Rossum]

Time will be the judge .

Indeed.

In the meantime perhaps you could sign the petition.

Even if I was a resident of the EU, I would not sign a petition that holds the TPD out as something positive, sorry.

Tell me why there are freezers full of nicotine from one side of USA to the other.

So that we can thumb our noses at those who wish to tax or otherwise restrict us.

 

[Layzee Vaper]

I will sign the petition, but I suspect it will result in the square route of naff all. All governments are facing a huge deficit in the public finance due to the significant loss of tax money. Eventually they will find a way to justify the tax, the only real question is how soon...

 

[ScottP]

I will sign the petition, but I suspect it will result in the square route of naff all. All governments are facing a huge deficit in the public finance due to the significant loss of tax money rampant overspending. Eventually they will find a way to justify the tax, the only real question is how soon...

Fixed it for you.

 

[MambaMan]

What? The TPD has somehow become a good thing in the view of whoever wrote this petition?

TPD actually has had a postitive outcome.
It has regulated the juices and made the producers more conscious about their products.
In my past, I've seen liquids which incluce notes of gasoline, regular water, olive oil, diacetyl and many other crappy/nasty elements in an e-liquid.

Regulating the e-liquids almost outweighs errrrsiiiingle bad out come that TPD has produced.

This is not only my opinion, but vaping before TPD was just riddiculous.
Every day something new and more powerful came out, like 300 watts vaping device, WHAT THE FRICK! And inhaling over 100ml of e-liquids a day? That is just beyond ludicrous ...
Like Dr. Farsalinos said, vape higher nicotine but less often, than slurp on that low nicotine e-juice.

The "too much commited to hobbysts" production is what in my honest opinion "killed" the vaping in Europe. We were already so used to seeing fat clouds, big machines, cheap prices and even lower e-liquid prices. But vaping is not about big fat clouds and fancy pancy machines, it's about a small and an efficient device, which helps smokers QUIT SMOKING!

I will sign the petition, but I suspect it will result in the square route of naff all. All governments are facing a huge deficit in the public finance due to the significant loss of tax money. Eventually they will find a way to justify the tax, the only real question is how soon...

The thing is, we have to try and keep on trying! Otherwise they will just roll over us!

 

[ScottP]

TPD actually has had a postitive outcome.
It has regulated the juices and made the producers more conscious about their products.
In my past, I've seen liquids which incluce notes of gasoline, regular water, olive oil, diacetyl and many other crappy/nasty elements in an e-liquid.

Regulating the e-liquids almost outweighs errrrsiiiingle bad out come that TPD has produced.

This is not only my opinion, but vaping before TPD was just riddiculous.
Every day something new and more powerful came out, like 300 watts vaping device, WHAT THE FRICK! And inhaling over 100ml of e-liquids a day? That is just beyond ludicrous ...
Like Dr. Farsalinos said, vape higher nicotine but less often, than slurp on that low nicotine e-juice.

The "too much commited to hobbysts" production is what in my honest opinion "killed" the vaping in Europe. We were already so used to seeing fat clouds, big machines, cheap prices and even lower e-liquid prices. But vaping is not about big fat clouds and fancy pancy machines, it's about a small and an efficient device, which helps smokers QUIT SMOKING!

Are you a politician? That is pure politician logic. You may as well have said "Bicycles need to be regulated because hobbyists are using them to do dangerous tricks. Jumping off of things, riding where they shouldn't, etc. Cycling is about getting a person from point A to point B without wasting gas." WRONG!!! It is about whatever the owner of the bike wants it to be about. The same can be said of vaping, or any other product really.

 

[untar]

But vaping is not about big fat clouds and fancy pancy machines, it's about a small and an efficient device, which helps smokers QUIT SMOKING!

Are you the official arbiter of what vaping is? Because that's a big pile of bovine excrement right on my computer screen. The reason vaping works for so many people is because there's a wide variety of ways to vape, if tootling works for you, fine, enjoy it, but don't go around saying it's the "correct way" to vape

notes of gasoline

Like that wasn't illegal before the TPD...
The diacetyl thing is ridiculous, you cite Farsalinos but you don't seem to have read what his opinion on the diacetyl hype was. As to the olive oil, this is the first time since I started vaping (5 years) that I hear of such a thing. Who sold olive oil in eliquid? Source?

The TPD infantilizes adults, assuming they can't handle nicotine higher than 20mg/ml in bottles bigger than 10ml so if you buy 1L you have 100 little plastic bottles. Requiring a "leak free" refill mechanism and child proof tanks (both not yet implemented because the definitions are still being made right now but there's already lawsuits saying such-and-such device isn't child safe). Implementing a 6 months waiting period for importers of vape gear in which nothing at all happens, driving business away from local vape shops and into China. That's also where people buy nicotine base with higher than allowed nic level, I'm sure China of all countries will have impeccable ingredients, it's a lot safer now, genius move

And it's not over yet, the TPD3 will come as soon as they have a little time to spare.

Was there some kind of regulation necessary? Probably yes. Did it have to be this kind of misguided and science defying steaming load of legislation? Hell no.

 

[SleeZy]

The worst part about this tax is that it makes DIY even more expensive than it already is (thanks TPD)
Atm it's about 3-4$ for 10ml /18mg base (called nicshots these days, i just vape them as is due 18mg. Well abit less once you start mixing but w/e)
To about 6-7$ per 10 ml or even higher in some places.

Voila! They managed to make smoking cheaper than vaping, congratulations system!/s

 

[listopencil]

Your stance makes no sense .
You know legislation is coming. You also know it is going to be more draconian that TPD. Don't kid yourself.
Oh by the way which country has the problem of school kids shooting for a nicotine high ?

If the worst thing a schoolkid does is 'Juuling' then I'm not that worried about him.

 

[MK-7]

EDIT: staying out of the conversation message deleted