John Dunne, Director General of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said:
“For years this is exactly what we as an Association have been calling for and we back the Local Government Association 100% in urging the Government to cut VAT on vaping products and finally bring them into line with other nicotine replacement therapies.
“The overwhelming evidence points to the fact that not only is vaping the number one way to help smokers to quit tobacco for good, but that it is at least 95% less harmful than smoking.
“Indeed in our own Blueprint for Better Regulation document, which we presented to the Government last year ahead of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations review, one of our key suggestions was to support the Government’s levelling up agenda by making vaping more accessible to those on lower incomes by slashing the VAT from 20% to 5%.
“Our hope is that now the LGA has added its own influential voice to this debate the Government will have the courage to put harm reduction ahead of financial considerations and make this important change as soon as possible, especially if it is serious about getting its own faltering ‘smoke free 2030’ ambitions back on track.”