Nearly half of vapers surveyed would consider buying cheaper black-market products, as the UK prepares to introduce a tax on vaping liquids next month.
The OnePoll survey, commissioned by vape retailer Vapekit, found 48 per cent of the full sample would consider illicit products because they cost less.
The findings come ahead of Vaping Products Duty on 1 October, charging £2.20 per 10ml of liquid, including nicotine-free varieties.
A squeeze on affordability
Of the 1,000 adults surveyed, 46 per cent said vaping would become too expensive to maintain. More than half, 53 per cent, had been unaware of the forthcoming tax.
The online poll ran from 10 to 14 August and was unweighted. Its black-market question went to 938 respondents who buy refills. Among that group, 51 per cent said they were likely to consider cheaper illicit products, equivalent to roughly 48 per cent of the full sample.
The findings can’t establish how many people will buy illegal products after the tax arrives, or whether the duty will cause them to do so, but these are stated intentions.
What the tax could add
The duty is charged by volume, so reducing nicotine strength will not reduce the tax on the same quantity of liquid.
For someone buying 20ml a week, the new duty alone works out at £4.40 weekly, or £228.80 over a year. If fully passed on with 20 per cent VAT on the additional charge, that becomes £5.28 a week, or £274.56 annually.
That’s an illustration of the potential increase, rather than a forecast for every vaper. The bill will depend on how much liquid they buy and how suppliers price their products.
HM Revenue & Customs says passing the duty through the supply chain is a commercial decision.
The tax is intended to make vaping less affordable for young people and non-smokers, while preserving a financial incentive for smokers to switch. To maintain that price gap, the government will also increase tobacco duty in October, adding an extra 44p in duty to a pack of 20 cigarettes on top of its regular annual increase.
New stamps and a transition period
Duty stamps will begin appearing on packaging from October. Eligible existing unstamped stock can still be sold until 31 March 2027, meaning the change will not affect every bottle on shop shelves immediately.
From 1 April 2027, all vaping products sold or supplied in the UK must carry a valid duty stamp.
The government says the measures aim to curb youth vaping and improve public health.
Its announcement acknowledges vaping’s role in helping smokers quit: “while vaping is less harmful than smoking and can help adult smokers quit, children and non-smokers should never vape.”
