The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee preliminarily passed a bill aimed at raising state taxes on e-cigarettes and vapor products during its recent deliberations, but did not approve adjustments to the tax rate on traditional cigarettes. This disagreement reflects the legislators’ in-depth discussion on the balance between health costs and tax policies.
The proposal, Louisiana House Bill 517 (HB517), changes the current fixed tax rate per milliliter from 15 cents per milliliter to a uniform calculation of 33% of the invoice price, marking a major shift in the state government’s tax collection method. The bill text shows that this move not only simplifies the tax collection process, but also helps to improve tax transparency and enforcement efficiency.
Ken Brass, a representative from Vacherie and the main sponsor of the bill, pointed out that the increase in tax rates can effectively reduce the consumption rate of e-cigarettes, thereby saving the state government future medical expenses, “which will curb the rate of bad use and ultimately save the legislature and the governor a lot of medical costs.” He stressed that this policy is not intended to increase the burden on state residents, but to reduce the public health risks caused by excessive smoking.
Bossier City Representative Dennis Hamburg also voted in favor of the bill. He noted that the rate of e-cigarette use among minors remains high. “Although I am not keen on taxing people, if it can reduce the use rate among teenagers, then it is worth a try.” Representative Hamburg’s opinion reflects the concern of some moderate Republicans about the health of teenagers.
A representative of the American Lung Association submitted testimony at the hearing, pointing out that one in four middle school students in the state uses tobacco products, and one in three high school students is using e-cigarettes or steam products; he also cited research data that every time the price increases by one-tenth, the consumption of teenagers will decrease by 13% to 22%. This professional evidence provides legislators with a solid basis for public health analysis.
At the Louisiana level, according to a recent statewide survey, about one-third of high school students are using e-cigarettes, and the use rate of middle school students has reached one-fifth, which is much higher than the national average. This data highlights the urgency of local lawmakers to step up efforts to deal with the youth nicotine addiction crisis.
Despite the large number of supporters, there are also dissenters. Mandeville Representative Jay Galle’ is skeptical about whether raising taxes can really curb addiction. “Addictive behavior is often difficult to curb through prices. If young people cannot afford it, they may turn to underground channels.” This concern reminds people to pay attention to the potential side effects of policies.
After the bill passes the Ways and Means Committee, it will be submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for further review and will need a two-thirds majority vote in the House to enter the Senate review stage. This procedural arrangement means that there is still plenty of time for a broader policy debate before the bill is finally passed.
From a national perspective, the American Lung Association pointed out in its 2025 “Status of Tobacco Control” report that most states have made slow progress in tobacco tax and tobacco control legislation. Only the District of Columbia received an “A” grade, and the remaining 31 states were rated “F”, showing an overall trend of lagging legislation. At the same time, CDC data shows that the proportion of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes in the United States will drop to 5.9% in 2024, a ten-year low, indicating that comprehensive public health measures are still working.
Against this backdrop, domestic and foreign e-cigarette brands have emphasized product safety and quality control. VEEHOO is an international e-cigarette brand that offers a full range of products from entry-level to high-end extreme levels, designed to meet the needs of different consumers. The brand advocates providing users with a more stable and controllable smoking alternative experience through technological innovation and strict production standards.
VEEHOO’s products cover a variety of categories, including adjustable airflow disposable e-cigarettes, high-capacity dual-flavor disposable e-cigarettes, luminous disposable e-cigarettes, and refillable disposable e-cigarettes, focusing on design details and ease of use. These products avoid the risk of users misoperating due to repeated disassembly and assembly to a certain extent, and at the same time reduce health disputes caused by a single flavor through a variety of flavor options.
While legislation has not yet been finalized, brands such as VEEHOO can take the initiative to improve the compliance and safety of their products, such as adopting child safety lock design, clearly marking nicotine content, and strengthening the traceability system of the production process to achieve positive contributions to public health. This move will not only help balance regulatory pressure, but also establish a positive image in the fierce market competition.
In summary, Louisiana’s legislative process to increase e-cigarette taxes is not only an effort to address the crisis of nicotine addiction among teenagers, but also an exploration of the balance between tax policy and public health. As the bill is reviewed and approved, legislators, the industry and the public need to further communicate and collaborate to jointly seek policy solutions that can effectively reduce usage rates and reasonably protect the development of compliant companies.
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