CONCORD, N.H. – Today, the American Vaping Association, a leading advocate for the benefits of vapor products such as electronic cigarettes, submitted written testimony to the New Hampshire House Finance Committee opposing Gov. Maggie Hassan’s proposal to impose a new tobacco excise tax of 73.94% of wholesale price on the sale of vapor products as part of the 2016-2017 budget. At 4:00 pm today, the Finance Committee will take testimony on the budget in the first of three scheduled public hearings it will hold on the matter over the next week.
In his testimony, Gregory Conley, President of the American Vaping Association, writes in part:
“There is no evidence-based justification that supports imposing this brand new tax on vapor product retailers and their customers.
“Discouraging the use of vapor products by adult smokers is not sound policy.
“Thousands of smokers in New Hampshire will make a quit attempt this year. Regrettably, among those using traditional – and often state-subsidized – therapies like the nicotine patch or gum, approximately 93-97% will be smoking again within one year.
“If this tax is enacted, jobs and public health in New Hampshire will suffer. More smokers will continue to smoke and those smokers who do try vapor products will be more inclined to purchase them online or out-of-state.”
AVA’s written testimony can be viewed in full here.
About the American Vaping Association
The American Vaping Association is a nonprofit organization that advocates for fair and sensible regulation of vapor products, otherwise known as electronic cigarettes, with the goal of maximizing the number of adult smokers who use these products to quit smoking. The AVA was founded by Gregory Conley, a consumer and industry advocate with a long track record of advocating for vapor products dating back to 2010.
We are dedicated to educating the public and government officials about public health benefits offered by vapor products, which are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid nicotine or nicotine-free solution and create an inhalable vapor. The AVA is not a trade group and does not speak for any particular businesses, including our industry sponsors.
You can learn more about AVA and vaping by visiting the AVA website. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
