Tags :Tobacco Tax

The European Commission has drafted a reform of the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) to increase minimum excise taxes on traditional cigarettes by 139% and introduce the first EU-wide minimum tax rates for next-generation products (NGPs). The proposal targets alternative nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, which the Commission states have outpaced current regulations. Currently, the Council of the EU is negotiating the draft. Because the European Parliament did not issue a formal opinion in June 2026, the reform requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states to take effect. Brussels bases these measures on health and…

Iowa legislative leaders are debating a proposed 15% tax on e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to help plug a Medicaid budget shortfall. While Governor Kim Reynolds’ broader tobacco tax hike lacks Republican support, the targeted vape tax is gaining traction as a viable revenue stream. Republicans generally avoid raising taxes. House Speaker Pat Grassley recently admitted as much. Yet, Iowa’s Medicaid program is facing a significant deficit, and lawmakers need cash. While Governor Kim Reynolds originally proposed a sweeping tobacco tax increase to combat state lung cancer rates, that plan has stalled due to a lack of GOP support. So, where…

A new bipartisan survey reveals that 66% of Iowans support a significant increase in tobacco taxes, viewing it as a critical public health intervention to address the state’s rising cancer mortality and Medicaid shortfalls. A recent survey by the Iowa Health Initiative shows that two-thirds of Iowa voters, across all political affiliations, support a $1.50 tax increase on cigarettes and nicotine products. Bipartisan lawmakers and medical experts argue this measure is essential to curb the state’s disproportionately high lung cancer rates and generate critical revenue for Medicaid, which has not seen a tobacco tax adjustment since 2007. Bipartisan Support for…