In its budget statement, the federal government announced that it would introduce a special excise levy on vaping products in 2022.
A recent paper argues that the federal government should tax each product and category according to its health risks.
Currently no such tax is imposed, even though several provincial governments have introduced different types of taxes on vaping products. A 2019 Ottawa Public Health study had reported that one in four high school students had tried vaping. “You’ve got a product that is tasting like cherries and root beer and strawberries being sold, and youth are picking it up,” said Marino Francispillai, the health unit’s program manager for school and community mental health and wellness.
According to the study, 23% of high school students in Ottawa have tried e-cigarettes, whilst 48% believe that vaping doesn’t pose a health risk. The OPH study also indicated that by comparison, only 6% of the students have smoked a cigarette in the last 12 months. “It’s become a bit of an epidemic at this point,” Francispillai said.
Diane Caruana – Vaping Post – 2021-10-22.