Biden's Spending Bill Could Cripple $6 Billion Industry, Make Millions of Americans Unhealthy
I have never smoked a cigarette or hit a vape in my life. When I have children, neither activity will be acceptable in my house.
As is evidenced by my — ahem — flawless physique, I have enough problems. Nicotine addiction is the last thing any of my loved ones or I need.
But I don’t think the market should reflect my personal preferences. If an adult wants to go buy an e-cigarette, more power to them.
The Democratic Party, on the other hand, is more interested in what vices you engage in during your spare time.
According to Fox Business, President Biden’s spending plan would include massive new taxes on e-cigarettes, vapes and nicotine-free pouches — an industry worth more than $6 billion. These new policies would tax the industry as heavily as real tobacco. This isn’t even the first time.
“States often tax nicotine products by price, and the tax on the product will pyramid since the federal tax would be levied at the manufacturer level and the state tax is levied at the distribution level. In effect, the state tax base includes the federal tax and becomes a tax on a tax,” The Tax Foundation, an independent tax policy nonprofit, warned in an analysis, according to Fox Business.
“This means that even if the taxes on tobacco and other nicotine products are approximately equal at the federal level, by the time it reaches the consumer, the nicotine product will carry a higher tax (and often a higher price).”
The bill taxes nicotine products based on the number of milligrams each product contains, despite the fact that the pace of nicotine absorption can vary widely from product to product.
“Due to the flawed definition of nicotine products in the bill, nicotine pouches, a relatively novel product which is consumed similarly to [snuff] or dipping tobacco, will be taxed at very high rates,” the Tax Foundation continued.
“Absorption through the mouth is slower than through the lungs, so these products require higher nicotine contents to satisfy consumers. Importantly, higher nicotine content does not translate to higher absorption.”
The reaction to the provision on Twitter was equally hostile, and a lot of the criticism came from progressives:
A lot of working class Americans who smoke nicotine are not going to be happy about this and believe me there’s a lot of them
— Sanchez (@Sanchez17845947) November 5, 2021
Next will be no capital gains taxes for billionaires but a 50% tax on beer and then they wonder why they lose.
— Franziskus (@Franzis53216059) November 4, 2021
So much for no new taxes for folks under $400k
— Official Referee of Politics (@TreesSecret) November 4, 2021
Anything to put the burden on individual consumers instead of the handful of hoarders they all eat dinner and play golf with.
— We’re Skroob (@pseudonymble) November 5, 2021
I am by no means endorsing the usage of these products on a recreational basis, but they do have a real benefit for people trying to quit smoking. Evidently, Democrats are far more interested in lining their pocketbooks than they are in the welfare of the American people. Fortunately, there does appear to be one exception.
Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin told Fox’s Brett Baier Wednesday that the provision “doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.”
Hopefully, Senator Manchin holds his ground and defends free-market principles. The economy is struggling enough. The last thing we need is for Brandon to ram another tax through Congress.
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