Supplier of vapes in Lincoln responds to budget measures
The budget saw duties introduced on vapes from October 2026
Amongst the measures announced by Jeremy Hunt in yesterday's budget is legislation on vapes.
There's a new tax on vapes from October 2026 with a one off increase in tobacco duty.
We spoke to Marcus Saxton from vaping giant Totally Wicked - which supplies Lincoln stores - he feels it'll negatively impact smokers trying to quit.
He told us: "At a time like this when you're already banning a product that has been perceived to be disproportionately attractive to youths to then effectively put a disincentive onto those smokers who already have the wrong perception - given all the furore in the media - we believe is incoherent."
"On face value we could say this is further potentially damaging the likelihood of smokers to make that transition."
It could mean the black market leads to unsafe products being sold to adults
"In isolation - if done at the right time - do I believe that a tax will put people off in the short term - no."
"We've got to get that message alongside any funds that are raised - and how this comes into effect - to use it to drive smokers that there is no better time to make the switch to the safer alternative vaping whilst at the same time stopping youths getting access to this product that it was never designed for."
"The black market today is material in size."
"There's evidence from Australia - when they put in bans and America - when they've made it much harder to get regulated products onto the market - that the market has boomed ever further."
"That means unsafe products being sold to adults - let alone potentially to children - if retailers are prepared to stock those products it's highly unlikely they're going to do the age verification protocols."