EU wants to tax e-cigarette liquid: "Do they want people to go back to tobacco?"

Will e-cigarette liquid soon be taxed by the European Union? The European Commission presented the EU budget for the period 2028-2034 on Wednesday, including new taxes. One of these concerns nicotine substitutes such as e-cigarettes.

This tax could cost France's four million vapers dearly. Currently, a small dropper of e-cigarette liquid, which lasts about three days depending on consumption, costs just under six euros. But it could approach ten euros after the new budget is adopted.

"It's nonsense, they want people to go back to tobacco," laments Dr. Marion Adler, a tobacco specialist in the Paris region, on RMC.

The latter sees other priorities: "It must be above all anything that is more dangerous than vaping. It is still the most used tool for smoking cessation. When there are no more smokers, we will be able to tax it, with pleasure."

Marion Adler also deplores the fact that tobacco and nicotine substitutes are put on the same level when "one is deadly, and the others allow you to stop smoking."

Europe is targeting e-cigarettes with the aim of standardizing regulations across member states. France is almost an exception on the continent, as there is currently no tax on them, and some countries are starting to get frustrated.

23 of the 27 EU countries have already introduced taxes on e-cigarette liquids. The budget presented by the Commission must be approved by all member states.