Online vape retailer ECigone has called on the government to reconsider plans to tax zero-nicotine vapes, arguing that the move could undermine efforts to help smokers quit.
The Vaping Products Duty (VPD) was confirmed at the Autumn Budget 2024 and is set to come into force on 1 October 2026.
Under the duty, all vaping liquids - including those containing no nicotine - that are intended to be vapourised by a vape and are not a medical or tobacco product will be subject to a new excise tax.
VPD will be charged at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10mls of vaping liquid, regardless of how much nicotine is contained in the product, said the government.
ECigone founder Shane Margereson argued taxing zero-nicotine vapes at the same rate as nicotine products “removes incentives for smokers trying to quit” and “creates barriers to harm reduction”, he said.
Margereson believes this oversight would create a disincentive for both consumers and manufacturers. ”With no price benefit in choosing a zero-nicotine product, fewer smokers feel encouraged to step down to 0mg and fewer manufacturers feel compelled to produce them,” he said.
”It’s like taxing decaf coffee as if it contained caffeine. It’s nonsensical. It’s immoral to profit from a system that blocks people from reaching zero nicotine.
“If we want genuine public health progress, then 0mg vapes need to be tax-exempt. That would show a clear path: reduce nicotine, save money, and move towards quitting altogether. The fact we’re straying from that path is deeply concerning, particularly when the country is still trying to bring smoking rates down”.
The vape retailer has called for urgent engagement between policymakers, public health researchers and responsible industry leaders.
Policy must “distinguish between products designed to help smokers quit and those that pose risks for youth uptake”, added Margereson.
“By lumping everything together, the government is stifling the very behaviour it claims to encourage,” he said. “A simple exemption for 0mg products would send the right message: if you want to quit, we’ll support you. The lost tax revenue would be dwarfed by the gains this could bring when it comes to public health.
“We don’t want weaker regulation: we want it to be smarter. This is one area where a small amendment could make a huge difference.”
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