Vapers need to act today to prevent this law from passing.
A 40 percent wholesale tax in Pennsylvania shut down more than 100 vape
shops. A 67 percent tax would cause even more damage to Arkansas’ vaping
businesses — and to vapers. According to the American Vaping
Association, the Arkansas law would tax e-liquid and prefilled pods, but
would also tax vaping devices that don’t include nicotine, like mods
and atomizers.
The bill also proposes a tax increase on Electronic Cigarette. Arkansas Senate President Jim Hendren, a Republican, is selling the tax
hike as a way to pay for other tax cuts, which he says will help
low-income Arkansas residents. But most people who smoke and vape are
also low- to middle-income, and will bear the burden of the increase.
Providing tax relief to some people by creating a new, regressive tax
that punishes the poor is a backwards way of helping disadvantaged
residents. In Arkansas, 22.3 percent of adults smoke cigarettes,
according to the CDC. Only four states have a higher smoking rate.
Taxing vapes will prevent many Arkansas residents from trying low-risk
products that could save their lives.
When you look at the statistics about health in Arkansas, we’re one of
the most unhealthy states. We have one of the highest cancer rates,”
said Hendren. Apparently Sen. Hendren doesn’t understand that
tobacco-free vapes can help the state improve its cancer rate, as well
as lower heart and lung disease levels. It’s up to vapers to educate
him, and the other legislators who will vote tomorrow.
The bill actually proposes several smaller changes to tobacco product
taxes that add up to a 67 percent increase in wholesale cost. However
it’s structured, adding 67 percent to the cost of vapor products —
including e-liquid, mods, pod devices, and everything else vapers use —
will keep many Arkansas residents smoking, and drive vape shop customers
to out-of-state online vendors. Not only will the tax punish vapers, it
will also put employees of vape businesses out of work and send
Arkansas dollars to other states.
It’s crucially important for Arkansas vapers to contact their state
senators today to register disapproval of this bill, SB 571. Use CASAA’s
call to action to send a message to your state senator. It takes less
than a minute, or just a few minutes if you take the time to personalize
the message by telling your senator how important vaping has been to
you.
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