A Louisiana House committee has approved legislation to increase the state tax on vapes and e-cigarettes. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 9-to-6 in favor of the measure. As the Louisiana Radio Network reports, Vice Chair State Representative Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, authored House Bill 517 and says a higher tax will result in a drop in usage for these harmful products. “This is going to deter and lower the rate, which is ultimately going to save us as a legislature governor, health care costs.”
The proposed law would change the tax on vapor products and electronic cigarettes from .15¢ per milliliter of consumable nicotine liquid solution, or other material containing nicotine that is depleted as a vapor product is used, to 33% of the invoice price of these products. If approved, HB517 would become effective January 1, 2026.
Representative Dennis Hamburg, R-Bossier City, knows there’s a large percentage of teenagers smoking vapes and e-cigarettes and if it costs more, it can reduce the percentage of minors using these products. ” I’m not a guy that really likes taxing our people, but if this can curb that appeal and slow that rate down a little bit.
Eric Weinzettle, director of Advocacy with Louisiana for the American Lung Association, testified that one out of four middle school students and one out of three high school students are using tobacco products and a majority are vaping. He said for every 10% increase in prices, consumption will drop 13 to 22% among youth.
But Representative Jay Galle, R-Mandeville, is not a believer in those statistics.” I think vaping is horrible. I think it’s a horrible addiction, and I wish it didn’t exist. But it is an addiction, and addictions are rarely deterred by an increase in price, so there’s that.”
The current law dedicates the first $22 million in vape and e-cigarette taxes to the Louisiana State Police Salary Fund and the next $6 million to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Office of State Fire Marshal, and Office of the State Public Defender Compensation Fund. According to the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO), the changes to the excise tax by HB517 will cost taxpayers $52,750. By comparison, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas have no tax on vaping products.
The same panel rejected Brass’ other measure, House Bill 398, to increase Louisiana’s tax on tobacco cigarettes by a vote of 7-to-4.
