Massachusetts law enforcement officials are reporting that illicit e-cigarette smuggling has seen a meteoric rise over the course of last year.
This comes after the 2019 Tobacco Control Law criminalized the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes.
More than 200,000 electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) were seized by state police and members of the Multi-Agency Illegal Tobacco Task force in 2021, setting a record in the state’s rate of tobacco smuggling.
Two years ago, the state passed suffocating legislation that enacted sweeping regulations on the electronic cigarette industry, banning all flavored products and imposing a 75% excise tax on all ENDS. These laws were passed in denial of scientific studies proving that electronic cigarettes are 95% less harmful than traditional combustible cigarettes and are the most effective method of getting smokers to quit.
Massachusetts state legislators also ignored data which shows that regulation on tobacco products is directly correlated with increased rates of tobacco smuggling – a black market industry which the United States Department of Defense has called “a threat to national security.” The growth of illicit ENDS trading was extremely predictable, given that the neighboring states like Rhode Island and New Hampshire lack the same unscientific restrictions on those products. As Americans for Tax Reform has repeatedly warned, regressive regulations on reduced harm tobacco alternatives invariably leads to higher rates of smuggling.
Garrett Smith – Americans for Tax Reform – 2022-03-04.
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