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‘Vape products should be taxed higher than cigarettes’
The Senate is considering higher excise taxes on tobacco and vapor products to address concerns about smuggling and increasing adolescent use.
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) assistant commissioner Jethro Sabariaga recommended that vape products should be taxed higher than cigarettes and heated-tobacco products, arguing that vapes are consumed for a longer period.
He pointed out that a single vape can last for 600 puffs or more, compared to about 300 puffs for a cigarette, suggesting that current tax structures may lead to significant revenue loss.
Data indicates a sharp rise in vape product usage among adolescents, jumping to 40 percent in 2023 from 7.5 percent in 2021.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian emphasized the urgency to curb the significant increase in vape product consumption among young people.
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