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SALT LAKE CITY — Of the bills presented at the Utah Legislature to help the "epidemic level" of e-cigarette use, Students Against Electronic Vaping says HB252, which increases the sales tax on electronic cigarettes to match other tobacco products, would be the most effective.
"We know that this tax is the solution, an 86 percent tax is the way to decrease youth usage of electronic cigarettes," said Cade Hyde, president of Students Against Electronic Vaping.
Hyde said with this tax increase, 28,000 youth would immediately stop using electronic cigarettes because of the increase in cost, and the number of youth smokers would continue to decrease. He said funds from the tax would be directed to youth cessation and prevention programs.
"Youth need to understand that electronic cigarettes are a way for them to get addicted to drugs, it is the way that they are getting addicted to drugs at this time," Hyde said.
Members of Students Against Electronic Vaping came to the Capitol Wednesday to hold a press event encouraging legislators to listen to the issue. The bill will likely be heard in committee next week.
McGyver Clark, from Students Against Electronic Vaping, said the number of youth addicted to electronic cigarettes doubled between 2017 and 2018. He said research shows the increased tax is the best way to decrease use.
“Right now in Utah there is over 45,000 youth ages 13-17 that are using e-cigarettes. In the last six years our legislators have neglected and disregarded this issue and have not taken this seriously,” Clark said.
The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, said the fiscal note on the same bill last year said the increased tax would have a revenue of $9.4 million. This year the revenue with the same tax increase would bring $21 million.
“That’s how much vaping with the youth has increased,” Ray said.
Ray said he thinks this is the year that the bill will get out of committee and make it to the floor in the House and Senate.
