Vaping Taxes

Upon traveling to Washington, D.C, I was shocked at the prices of nicotine.

A two-pack of Vuse pods in South Carolina ranges from about $10-12, but in D.C the exact same product was $27! I was horrified and confused by this, so I did some research.

“The nation’s capitol classifies vapes as “other tobacco products,” and assesses a tax on the wholesale price based on a rate that is indexed to the wholesale price of cigarettes. The tax is currently set at 91% of wholesale cost for devices and nicotine-containing e-liquid”

Originally the 91% tax made me furious because it was a massive waste of money. But throughout the trip, I noticed that hardly anyone on the streets was vaping or smoking cigarettes. 

After careful thought on the topic, raising vaping prices everywhere would help with the problem of so many young people getting hooked on nicotine.

When I was 15 years old, my nicotine addiction started because someone handed me a Juul and almost six years later, I still cannot quit. Many friends around my age are struggling with the same issue.

Vaping products are extremely easy to access, even under the age 21. If prices skyrocketed on these products, then I believe that many broke college students would think twice about their purchases.