Manager Caitlyn Woloski, left, and assistant manager Beau Burwash, at Always Four Twenty Smoke/Vape Shop in North Battleford. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Provincial Budget 2021

Mayor hopes 20 per cent vape tax might help deter users

Apr 22, 2021 | 5:15 PM

With the new 20 per cent tax on vaping products being introduced in the province’s new budget, local Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie said he hopes it will deter more people from vaping.

The new Vapour Products Tax (VPT) that will be imposed on the retail price of all vapour liquids, products and devices will take effect in Saskatchewan on September 1, 2021.

Leslie hopes with the new tax this year, plus the fact that the province imposed an age restriction of 18 years and older in 2020 for the sale of vapour/e-cigarette devices and products, will help young people especially think twice before taking up vaping.

“Vaping and vaping products for far too long have been easily accessible by children under the age of 18, and these new restrictions—plus the new taxation that they are adding onto the vaping products—I hope it curbs that trend of our youth thinking vaping is a good thing to do,” he said. “Vaping is growing in popularity and it’s time it pays its portion of the taxation, just like smokers and other tobacco users. It’s a vice in my opinion, and I’m glad the government’s starting to tax it. ”

Leslie is especially concerned about the health impact of vaping and how it might affect users.

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“The science hasn’t fully caught up to what the long-term effects of vaping may be,” he said. “That’s unknown. But it’s not hard to see that there has got to be some long-term effects from vaping. Having a tax that can help pay the medical bills in the future, definitely is not a bad idea.”

Riley Arcand of North Battleford, who was buying some vape products Thursday, said he vapes as a way to cut down on smoking cigarettes.

“It’s just a nice way to stop smoking,” he said. “It’s been helping.”

Arcand said it doesn’t really matter to him too much there will be a new tax but he would prefer it not be as great as 20 per cent.

Always Four Twenty Smoke/Vape Shop owner Chris Hamilton said he doesn’t know how the tax increase will impact the volume of vape product sales. He was surprised to see the tax would be 20 per cent, he said.

“I was expecting a tax but I wasn’t expecting it to be so high,” he said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW