Tax On Vaping Devices Increased to Make Them Less Accessible to Children

The National Treasury is now seeking to stamp its foot on the ever-increasing nicotine addiction by changing the taxation regime for liquid nicotine from the current shillings per unit to an excise duty of Sh70 per milliliter.

If the proposals are passed by the August house, the e-cigarettes, also known as vaporizers or vapes on the street will be more expensive so as to ensure they are not easily available.

Treasury Boss Ukur Yatani while presenting the highlights of the Sh3.3 trillion budget stated that that introduction of new products beyond e-cigarettes has led to addictions which is negatively affecting health of citizens.

“The design of these products and their taxation regime makes them easily accessible to users including to school children and the youth, thus leading to nicotine addiction and consequently smoking and use of other drugs,” said Yatani.

The CS treasury noted that the design of liquid nicotine has made it easily accessible to school going children and the youth thus leading to addiction.

“In order to prevent these habits and make the liquid nicotine used in these devices less accessible to users including to school children and the youth, I propose to change the taxation regime,”Yatani stated.

The usage of e-cigarettes has increased in Kenya ever since the ban on Shisha in 2017. Like Shisha it comes in different flavours available on the market.

It can also be refilled and recharged as it makes them reusable and less expensive.

Tobacco kills more than seven million people each year, with more than six million of those deaths being as a result of direct tobacco use.

This has led to a shift in smoking trends, with alternatives such as e-cigarettes coming into the market. The nicotine content in the vape pens varies from zero to extra high or 24-36mg per millilitre.

In Kenya, there is no clear policy to regulate or guide the use, sale and consumption of e-cigarettes.

In adolescents, e-cigarettes have been termed addictive as it triggers changes in the brain.

In pregnant mothers it is said to be hazardous as it can affect fetal development.

The report also indicated that those who are/have used e-cigs are less likely to stop smoking altogether. Teens who use such products are more likely to start using regular tobacco as well.

Studies have shown that regular usage of E cigarettes may expose the lungs to different substances.