Alberta introduces new tax on vaping products

Albertans are paying more to puff on vapes at the start of this new year, with increased taxes on vaping products coming into effect. 

Those who sell them here in Edmonton tell CityNews there should be more enforcement and education on vape store owners, to stop teen vaping.

“Ontario has been hit with it since the summer, and they’ve already lost sales, up to 30 per cent,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, the director and co-owner of Planet of Vapes.

Rodriguez says she’s frustrated with new provincial taxes on the products, which will see $1.12 per 2 ml of vaping fluid for the first 10 ml, and another $1.12 for every 10 ml on top of that. 

That matches existing federal taxes on vaping products. 

Early last year, Alberta’s health minister said 1 in 3 young people vape in the province.

But this store owner agrees with curbing youth vaping and wants more enforcement over taxes.

“The government needs to have proper measures to enforce shops, making sure that they are ID-ing properly, that they’re taking all precautions, that they’re not breaking the rules. If all the shops buckle down, ID everyone and be really strict about it. I think that’s the solution,” she explained.

Anti-smoking and youth vaping advocates applaud the province’s move to bring in the vape tax. Telling me they have data to prove that taxes make people butt out for good. 

“On tobacco, for every 10 per cent increase in the price of tobacco products, there is a corresponding 4 per cent reduction in consumption. But that effect is two to three times higher in youth, because they have limited disposable income,” said Les Hagen, the executive director of Action on Smoking Health.

Hagen also wants to see the federal government follow through with a promised plan to ban flavoured vaping products, but no word yet on how a potential federal election may change those plans. 

In the meantime, for business owners like Rodriguez, she’s worried about what higher taxes could mean for business at her store.

“In order to make sure that we have the money for operating costs, we have to increase our rate. Because we’re increasing our prices, they’re not affordable to customers anymore.”