According to Times of Cannabis on August 29, the UK government plans to introduce a new Vaping Products Duty (VPD) in October 2026, aimed at reducing the use of vapes, especially among teenagers and non-smokers.
The proposal is part of the 2024 Spring Budget and has sparked widespread discussion among public health officials, industry stakeholders and consumers. Although the UK government recognizes the role of vapes in helping to quit smoking, it is concerned about the increasing use of vapes by non-smokers and minors.
It is revealed that the new tax will apply to all vape products, including e-liquids and devices, and the cost of e-liquids is expected to rise by about 25%, and the price of some e-liquids may even double. By the 2028/29 fiscal year, the government expects to generate up to £445 million in revenue through this tax, which will be used to support the work of the National Health Service (NHS) and the Trading Standards Agency. The goal of the funds is to support public health programs and strengthen vape regulation.
The consultation document released by the government details the specific content of the VPD and its expected impact. The document points out that although vapes are much less harmful than traditional smoking, concerns about the increase in vape use among teenagers and non-smokers are still worthy of attention. The government plans to find a balance between using vapes as a smoking cessation tool and protecting public health, especially vulnerable groups.
Although the UK Department of Public Health continues to support vapes as a safer alternative to smoking, believing that their harm is about 95% less than traditional tobacco, the proposal reflects the government’s cautious attitude to ensure that vapes are used as a smoking cessation tool without posing a risk of nicotine addiction to non-smokers and minors.
This proposal has triggered different reactions from the public and the industry. Supporters of vapes believe that the new tax may make vapes unaffordable, thus affecting efforts to quit smoking. Deborah Arnott, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a healthy smoking action organization, stressed that keeping vapes cheaper than traditional tobacco is crucial to encouraging smokers to switch to vapes. She said:
“Further increases in tobacco taxes are welcome, as keeping vapes cheaper than traditional tobacco is essential to helping quitters switch to vapes.”
On the other hand, public health officials and anti-smoking advocates support the tax as a necessary measure to curb the use of vapes by teenagers. They believe that rising prices for vape products will prevent minors from obtaining such products and reduce the likelihood of their addiction. The government has also pledged to increase the price of traditional tobacco to ensure that vapes remain an economically viable option for quitters.
As a leading brand committed to providing smoking alternatives, Veehoo Electronics will also face new challenges and opportunities as the UK government plans to introduce a new electronic cigarette product tax (VPD) in October 2026.
The UK government’s move to reduce the use of vapes, especially among teenagers and non-smokers, has sparked widespread discussion. Although Veehoo Electronics is committed to providing smoking alternatives to smokers, it is concerned about the increase in the use of vapes by non-smokers and minors.
According to the government’s proposal, the new tax will apply to all vape products, including e-liquids and devices. The cost of e-liquids is expected to rise, and some prices may even double. This may have a certain impact on the market positioning and sales strategy of Veehoo vapes, and the brand needs to re-evaluate its pricing and publicity strategies.
The government hopes to obtain billions of pounds of revenue through this tax measure to support the National Health Service and strengthen the regulation of vapes. This also reminds Veehoo vapes to pay more attention to product positioning and market publicity.
For Veehoo vape users, they are worried that the new tax may increase the price of vapes and affect their efforts to quit smoking. However, Deborah Arnott, CEO of the Healthy Smoking Action Organization ASH, stressed the importance of keeping vapes cheap to promote smokers to switch to safer smoking alternatives.
In this context, Veehoo vapes will need to continue to pay attention to the government’s legislative trends and flexibly adjust its own strategies, including strengthening cooperation with public health departments, promoting the safe use of vapes and the effect of quitting smoking, and ensuring the quality and safety of products, so as to continue to provide users with healthy and safe smoking options.
Tags: New tax on vapes in the UK，UK vape youth use rate，veehoo vape