We all know that electronic cigarettes have got nothing to do with tobacco. If anything, tobacco and e cigs are two different things just like light and darkness. But since bad luck seems to be following electronic cigarettes in nearly all the states, we just have to put up with the seemingly unfair bills that lawmakers hit vapors with as though they were smokers.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have come up with bills that classify e cigs as tobacco products. The bills seem to target two things. One is to prohibit sales of electronic cigarettes to minors and the other is to levy the same 70 percent tax on e cigs that the state levies on all tobacco products like snuff, cigars, pipe tobacco and real cigarettes.

The legislators seem confused to several smokers and even to non smokers. If it is nothing but confusion, then why would a congressman with all his knowledge classify a device with nothing but rechargeable batteries, a heater a water solution and nicotine in the same class as tobacco? It beats logic but a closer look will tell you that nicotine is the main culprit behind this legislation that levies unnecessary tax on electronic cigarettes.

Nicotine comes from tobacco but it is not tobacco in itself. If it were, then it would be reasonable to classify nicotine gum, patches and lozenges that are sold as safe and healthy alternatives to smoking in the same category as the bill seeks to put electronic cigarettes.   Consider this metaphor and see how it applies to this bill. Both Coke and Coffee are rich in caffeine but a can of Coke does not have any coffee trace or in simpler words does not contain coffee. So legislating Coke just as if it were a coffee product would be ridiculous. Well, that is precisely what the legislators are doing with regards to traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

If this bill sees the light of the day, then electronic cigarettes and all their devices such as batteries and chargers will be subjected to the same taxes that actual cigarettes face. This simply means that several, smokers will choose to stay and go on smoking traditional cigarettes.  Deaths related to smoking will then increase and that is where there is a lot of confusion and debate regarding how much the government cares for the health of its citizens.

To most of us and even to the Average Joe on the street, the government does not really care. If it did, then the best thing to do would be to offer tax incentives to traditional tobacco smokers who resort to e cigs. But as it is, the government seems to draw lot of cash in terms of revenue from traditional cigarettes and as soon as they realized that the trend was changing with the introduction of electronic cigarettes decreasing the revenues, they had to act first. Taxed cigarettes being replaced with untaxed electronic cigarettes got them panicking and the now controversial bill got born. Well, let us just hope for the best and expect the worst as that is all that seems to remain of us.

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