The Kentucky House voted Wednesday to create a tax on vaping products and increase taxes on snuff and chewing tobacco.
The measure, House Bill 32, passed the House on a 75-17 vote and now goes to the Senate, media outlets reported.
It’s estimated to raise $50 million of new tax revenue over the next two fiscal years. It aims to reduce vaping and smokeless tobacco use in a state with one of the nation’s highest cancer rates.
The bill would add vaping products to the list of smokable tobacco products such as cigars that are subject to a wholesale tax, with that rate increasing under the measure.
The legislation also doubles the per-unit tax on non-smokable and chewable tobacco products, but does not affect the tax rate on packs of cigarettes.
An organization representing 400 vape shop owners recently told legislators the bill would hurt their small businesses and discourage adults from vaping as a way to quit smoking cigarettes.
The bill’s supporters, including organizations like the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, say the price increase on e-cigarettes will help curb the increased use of highly addictive vaping products by youth in the state.
By the Associated Press
