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Public health advocate and industry clash over proposed excise increases for nicotine pouches
Summary
A public-health witness warned that doubling excise taxes on nicotine pouches would undercut adult smokers' attempts to switch to lower-risk products, while retailers and grocers said higher fees risk pushing business to illicit online sellers and disproportionately hurt small stores.
A policy split emerged at the Senate Economic Development committee between public-health experts who warned that steep excise hikes on nicotine pouches could harm adult smoking-cessation efforts, and industry and retail groups who opposed fee increases that they say would penalize compliant brick-and-mortar stores.
Jeff Willett, director of the Progressive Policy Institute's project to end smoking, urged the committee to oppose proposals in S.198 that would substantially increase excise…
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