Vaping tax hits 5.5 million Brits today as a bottle of liquid could almost DOUBLE in price

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

A new £2.20-per-10ml duty on vaping liquid has taken effect today, with heavy users potentially paying up to £600 more annually. Bottles currently retailing at around £3.99 could climb to nearly £7 once manufacturers pass the charge on. Tobacco duty rises alongside it, adding roughly 44p to a pack of 20 cigarettes. Health minister Karin Smyth argued that vaping must remain cheaper than smoking to sustain the shift away from cigarettes among adult smokers.

Vapers will not face immediate price increases — retailers have six months to sell through existing stock at pre-duty prices before an April deadline.

The tax lands weeks ahead of an October 29 ban on vape and nicotine product sales to under-18s, covering nicotine-free e-liquids as well.

HMRC is introducing a stamp scheme to track vapes across the supply chain, aimed at tackling the illicit products that have been flooding high streets.