Colombia’s Bill 308: Increased Tobacco and Vape Taxes

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Colombia cigarette vape tax

Colombian health organizations and advocates are calling on the Congress to pass Bill 308, which seeks to increase the consumption tax rate on cigarettes to 8,400 pesos over the next two years and introduce a new tax on electronic cigarettes equivalent to 35% of their final retail price. The bill, expected to be voted on in the coming weeks, aims to curb the recent uptick in the percentage of the population consuming tobacco and nicotine products and potentially prevent approximately 450,000 deaths in the country.

According to a joint press release from organizations such as the Anáas Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, Red Papaz, the Center for Studies in Social Protection and Health Economics at Icesi University (PROESA), and the Colombian League Against Cancer, the measures included in Bill 308 are designed to protect minors and could generate substantial savings in high-cost treatments for heart diseases and cancer.

House Representative Carolina Giraldo, a co-author of the bill, emphasized the potential impact of the proposed tax rate, stating that it could prevent around 450,000 deaths in Colombia. The bill has garnered support from various parliamentarians, civil society organizations, and scientific societies who have been working to refine the initial version of the initiative.

The organizations also addressed the issue of misinformation, which they claim is occasionally encouraged by tobacco industries with a conflict of interest. They stressed that this sector “does not cease in its efforts to prevent the measure from fulfilling its purpose for the benefit of the Colombian population.” One common argument put forth by tobacco companies is that increasing taxes on traditional and electronic cigarettes could lead to an increase in smuggling.

However, the organizations pointed out that while illicit trade is a global problem, it remains at moderate levels in Colombia, thanks in part to the reduction of the total cigarette market due to the implementation of policies included in the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control over the past decade. They emphasized that combating illicit trade is crucial and that public health strategies are the necessary path to achieve this goal.

The organizations concluded that the proposed tax adjustments are the minimum necessary, according to experts, to curb the recent uptick in the percentage of the population consuming tobacco and nicotine products and prevent a significant number of deaths in the country.

News Source: Piden al Congreso votar para subir impuestos al tabaco y a los vapeadores: “Podría prevenir unas 450.000 muertes”

Matthew Ma
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