The German government's plans to tax e-liquid are meeting with resistance. The magazine Egarage reports. The Green, Left and liberal FDP parties say the tax is ill-conceived and disproportionate to the risks of e-cigarettes.
It was in the autumn that the German government (Christian and Social Democrat) presented a proposal to tax e-liquid containing nicotine. The tax would start at the equivalent of two kronor per millilitre, and then be raised to four kronor. And it would be quick. The law would enter into force as early as 2022, but the proposal has been heavily criticised, not only by health experts, but also by politicians in different camps.
Multiplying the price of e-liquids
According to the liberal FDP, the tax brings e-liquid closer to the price of cigarettes, which ultimately affects public health.
"In the worst case scenario, this could multiply the price of commercially available e-liquid. It will be completely counterproductive in terms of health policy, as it will severely limit the competitiveness of vejp products, compared to cigarettes" says Mr Perez. To Mr Mansmann, representative in the finance committee of the liberal FDP until Garage.
Will have lower taxes than cigarettes
The Left Party (Die Linke) is on the same track. According to Niema Movassat, spokesman for the left's drug policy in the Bundestag, tax policy must also guide health care.
"Harm reduction products should not be made more expensive than the more harmful product by a tax. Therefore, the state should deliberately tax e-cigarettes lower than tobacco and cigarettes," he tells car park.
Getting smokers to choose e-cigs
The Greens believe that taxation of products should be based on the risk of harm. According to the party's spokesperson Stefan SchmidtThere are risks associated with e-cigarettes that legislators must take seriously. At the same time, society must encourage smokers to choose healthier alternatives to cigarettes, says Mr Schmidt.
"The more harmful the product, the higher the tax. Conventional cigarettes should be taxed higher than smokeless tobacco products and in particular higher than e-cigarettes. The proposal to tax conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes in a similar way is, in our view, not at all appropriate. It reduces the likelihood of regular smokers, who cannot quit completely, switching to less harmful products such as e-cigarettes. We therefore reject his proposal." Stefan Schmidt told Egarage.
Similar tax as in Sweden
A tax on e-juice has been on the political table for several years. Sweden already introduced a tax on e-liquid in 2018, similar to the German proposal. At the turn of the year 20/21 the Parliament also voted in favour of a further tax, this time at 4 kr/ml, for highly concentrated e-liquid (over 15mg/ml). Swedish politicians, unlike their German counterparts, were basically in agreement on the issue.
Want to avoid black market
Meanwhile, in the autumn, the Estonian government announced that the cancels its tax on e-liquid. The reason was the black market that grew rapidly after the price of regulated e-juice skyrocketed.
Stefan Schmidt of the Green Party wants to avoid a similar situation in Germany. He proposes that taxes on e-liquid be regulated by the EU instead.
"As we are dealing with an internal market, it is more appropriate to reform the EU Tobacco Tax Directive at EU level. This will ensure that all EU countries have a uniform basis for taxing e-cigarettes. This is the only way to prevent people from buying products from tax-free EU countries." Stefan Schmidt added car park.
Agree there should be no tax on e-liquid and it should be much cheaper. But thc should not be in e-liquid but they should switch to cbd much better.