A plan to hike tax on vapes and e-liquids in Poland has passed a major legal hurdle.
The legislation - which will see increased excise taxes on vapes and tobacco products - passed a vote in the lower house of parliament with 236 votes for and 188 against, according to Polski Radio.
The proposed law will now pass to the Senate, the upper house of Poland’s parliament, for debate. If approved at that stage, it will be signed into law by President Andrzej Duda.
Sharp staged rises
Under the new bill, the excise tax on e-cigarette liquids will rise sharply, by 75 percent in 2025, followed by 50 percent in 2026 and 25 percent in 2027.
Vapes and other heated devices will see a 50 percent increase in 2025, 20 percent in 2026, and 15 percent in 2027. While snus is legal to use in Poland, it is illegal to buy it there so it isn’t included in the new legislation.
There will also be tax rises for tobacco products. The excise tax on cigarettes will be increased by 25 percent in 2025, followed by 20 percent in 2026, and 15 percent in 2027, according to an announcement by the Polish Prime Minister's Office.
Loose and dry tobacco will see staged increases of 38 percent in 2025, 30 percent in 2026, and 22 percent in 2027. For cigars and cigarillos, excise taxes will rise by 25 percent next year, 20 percent in 2026, and 15 percent in 2027.
The move, first announced by the Polish government in July, is part of a wider push to curb smoking rates in the country. Currently, around 26 per cent of the population smoke - 30 per cent of men and 22 per cent of women.
Negative impact on smokers wanting to quit
However, vaping advocates warn that taxing vapes and e-liquids will have a negative effect on smoking rates by making it harder for smokers to quit.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, said: “Taxation must be proportional to the risks of products. Vaping is 95 per cent less harmful than smoking, yet this tax treats it similarly, undermining public health. Smokers should be incentivised to switch, not pushed back to cigarettes due to higher prices.”
Research also shows that higher taxes on less harmful nicotine products discourage smokers from switching, which particularly affects low and middle-income groups.
In countries such as Sweden and New Zealand where the use of nicotine alternatives like vapes is widely encouraged as a tool to quit smoking, smoking rates have plummeted. In contrast, countries where strict anti-vaping measures have been imposed, such as Australia and Brazil, have experienced an uncontrollable boom in black market trade.
Earlier this year, the Polish government announced it will ban the sale of vapes to anyone aged under 18 from January 2025. It is also said to be drafting legislation to ban the sale of disposable vapes.
