Colombian Congress Proposes Tax Increase on Tobacco Products

According to Infobae's report on August 21st, the Colombian Congress is planning to increase taxes on tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

According to the latest research on substance consumption, the usage rate of e-cigarettes among students aged 12 to 18 in Colombia reached 11.2% in the past month. In order to address this issue, Congress proposed a bill on August 21 aimed at increasing taxes on traditional cigarettes and establishing a new tax category for e-cigarettes.

The draft has received support from multiple scientific and civil organizations.

This legislation aims not only to raise the price of Colombian cigarettes to a level comparable to other leading countries in the Americas, but also to implement a unified tax structure for e-cigarettes and their components. This way, all nicotine products will receive fair tax treatment under the new health regulations taking effect this May.

According to data from Colombia's National Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane), tobacco consumption has significantly decreased over the past decade, thanks to similar fiscal measures. It has decreased from 8.3% in 2016 to 5.6% in 2021.

The draft states that promotional activities and price reductions of e-cigarettes have led to a sharp increase in underage consumption, thus necessitating stricter tax policies. The document also mentions that these measures aim to reduce the 34,800 smoking-related deaths annually and raise approximately 1.4 billion Colombian pesos (around 350 million dollars).

The proposal also focuses on targeting the marketing strategies of tobacco companies towards young people and vulnerable groups. Several organizations, including Anáas Foundation, Red PaPaz, Colombian Cancer Association, and National Cancer Institute, have expressed their support for the proposal.

One of the key focuses of this bill is to protect the environment from pollution caused by disposable e-cigarettes and traditional cigarette butts.

These measures have received support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). At the same time, organizations such as the Colombian Pulmonology Society, Colombian Internal Medicine Association (ACMI), and Colombian Family Medicine Association have also expressed their support.