Tobacco Firms start Court Case to block e-cigs (Italy)

[Matt Gluggles]

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The Italian union of tobacco operators last week lodged an appeal with the regional court of Lazio, in an attempt to block the sale of electronic cigarettes.

The tobacco operators claim that e-cigs are "unfair competition" and should be taxed like tobacco cigarettes !

But in the topsy-turvey world of this Italian news, a chief executive of a Pharma company says that "“I used to smoke more than a pack a day,” and continued, “then I tried e-cigarettes thanks to a friend. I stopped using traditional cigarettes. I feel better physically and I’m saving money. I am amazed by the polemic concerning the alleged harmfulness of electronic cigarettes. I think it is a matter of loss of money for the government, which can’t apply taxation to them yet. “

More details here

www.theepochtimes.com/n3/64093-italian-tobacco-industry-wrestling-with-electronic-cigarettes/


[Hat-Tip to Christopher Snowdon, who spotted the article and posted it on Twitter.]


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[Matt Gluggles]

Which, to my mind, proves that the anti-ecig brigade are simply supporting smoking by attacking tobaccos best competition.

[mybad]

the end is nigh for the tobacco giants.

[kibbster]

I'm not worried in the slightest about tobacco companies tbh, if there's one thing that's hated by politicians more than ecigs it's tobacco ;-)

[matt1988]

Haha! I love how tobacco companies are jumping on their high horse. Anyways, the only reason tobacco is heavily taxed is to provide an incentive not to use them, because they seriously harm users.

Whereas Ecigs don't, and if they taxed e-cigs they would have to tax any other nicotine containing product at the same rate wouldn't they? Well unless they e-cigs remain part of the TPD.

[deesigner]

'20,000 jobs will be lost' They forget to mention that a few million lives would be saved!

[collie2011]

May 19, 2013 18:48:11 GMT kibbster said:

I'm not worried in the slightest about tobacco companies tbh, if there's one thing that's hated by politicians more than ecigs it's tobacco ;-)

That might be true over here, but the Italian courts and politicians are a little bit different.

[womble]

May 19, 2013 23:28:48 GMT matt1988 said:

Haha! I love how tobacco companies are jumping on their high horse. Anyways, the only reason tobacco is heavily taxed is to provide an incentive not to use them, because they seriously harm users.

Is it? Or does it have something to do with, the Government have found a cash cow they can tax as much as they like, no one can complain, as it's for the publics health and the addicts are stuck buying them.

They are going to have one big problem in the tax department, if ecigs keep taking bigger and bigger slices out of the tobacco tax take.

So what should they do? Well obviously they should try to make ecigs look as bad for you as possible, blind the non or less informed ecig consumer with science, to make the case for taxes for the publics good.

Also of course, it's not going to look good for your NHS if the best result producing tobacco alternative product, which keep people from real cigs, does about 10 times better than the treatment you have paid and doled out for years and years. And annoyingly it hasn't come from the people who take great interest in the way your government is run, that spend extortional amounts of money to keep HMG informed that, um, their products are the best and obviously ecigs aren't safe and should be passed over to pharma laws (so they can be safely buried in a mass of undoable legislation)

[collie2011]

May 22, 2013 8:07:12 GMT womble said:

May 19, 2013 23:28:48 GMT matt1988 said:

Haha! I love how tobacco companies are jumping on their high horse. Anyways, the only reason tobacco is heavily taxed is to provide an incentive not to use them, because they seriously harm users.

Is it? Or does it have something to do with, the Government have found a cash cow they can tax as much as they like, no one can complain, as it's for the publics health and the addicts are stuck buying them.

They are going to have one big problem in the tax department, if ecigs keep taking bigger and bigger slices out of the tobacco tax take.

So what should they do? Well obviously they should try to make ecigs look as bad for you as possible, blind the non or less informed ecig consumer with science, to make the case for taxes for the publics good.

Also of course, it's not going to look good for your NHS if the best result producing tobacco alternative product, which keep people from real cigs, does about 10 times better than the treatment you have paid and doled out for years and years. And annoyingly it hasn't come from the people who take great interest in the way your government is run, that spend extortional amounts of money to keep HMG informed that, um, their products are the best and obviously ecigs aren't safe and should be passed over to pharma laws (so they can be safely buried in a mass of undoable legislation)

If tobacco usage stopped then there would be a massive black hole in the budget. They talk about the smokers burden to the NHS but the truth is they take a lot more in tobacco tax revenue than the NHS spend treating smoking related illnesses. It is their biggest cash cow, they will have to tax something else in it's place.

Politicians know that NRT's don't work, they don't really want them to be too effective because they would lose too much money, they just want to be seen to be doing something against the evil tobacco.

[matt1988]

Yes exacly collie2011 . Lets not forget that the gvernment is still getting 20% from sales. After 2 months of NRT they will be getting nil, none, zero. Yes ok it's still a tiny percentage but it's a better return long term than 'tried and tested' nicotine replacement therapies.

[neptune]

For far too long, tobacco tax has been a Government cash cow. Cigarettes are taxed at 89 pence in the pound. This is a higher rate of tax than is demanded on petrol. It has been justified by lying that smokers cost more in Health Care than the money from tobacco tax. Meanwhile smokers have been vilified, "denormalised" and dehumanised. Smokers should be encouraged to quit. There are no moral grounds for ANY tax on e cigs, when ex smokers are trying to improve their health at their own expense.
For a change, how about some honesty from Government. Let all citizens pay to make up the deficit caused by the death of Big Cig. And while we are at it, lets simplify the whole tax system. Income tax to be paid at a fixed percentage on all earnings over say £12000 a year. No ifs, no buts, no allowances, no complications. Sack three quarters of accountants and tax workers. Sorted.