Israel Hits iQOS Heat-Not-Burn Device With 65 Percent Tax

The iQOS, a heat-not-burn (HNB) device made by Philip Morris, is being hit with a 65 percent tax in Israel, which is on par with the current tax imposed on ordinary cigarettes in the country.

Haaretz reports that there are still several steps that legislators must go through before the new excise tax goes into effect. By the Israeli newspaper’s account, the decision to impose the same rate of taxation on the iQOS, a smoke-free alternative to cigarettes that heats blends instead of burning them, that has already been levied against traditional cigarettes is both a new tax and statement and that statement is that the Israeli government does not differentiate between the traditional cigarettes and HNB products in regards to their potential health implications.

By Dr. Hagai Levine’s account, who is the secretary of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, Philip Morris’s iQOS, which was first launched in Japan, is not only addictive, but also harmful and a danger to public health. However, HNB products like the iQOS do not burn tobacco, they heat it to the point at which an aerosol or vapor is created. Traditional cigarettes are burned and it is through this process of combustion that smoke is created, smoke which contains over 4,000 chemicals. And in that smoke, according to the latest data, is various toxins, including over 40 carcinogenic compounds that are known to cause cancer. Also, HNB devices like electronic cigarettes and other forms of vaporizers do not produce tar. Subsequently, there are certainly those who wonder if the Israeli government’s rationale is that of a logical one backed by scientific evidence.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the world such as the United Kingdom, governments are recommending that current cigarette smokers switch over to vaping out of a belief that vaping is less harmful than smoking. And in a recent survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of vape retailer Electric Tobacconist found that more than 2 out of every 5 Brits believes vaping to be less harmful than smoking.

Still, there are countries where vaping is coming under increased scrutiny and regulation. In other words, Israel is by no means alone in their latest regulatory efforts to reel in the vaping industry and control it for the sake of what they indicate to be public health concern.

In Australia, vaping nicotine is effectively banned without a doctor’s prescription. In Japan, where the iQOS was first introduced back in 2014 before being rolled out to other countries like Israel, heat-not-burn devices are currently facing a potential tax hike that could hamper their progress.

What do you think, is vaping safer than smoking? Should the two be regulated and tax the same? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.