Senate Democrats Seek to Raise Taxes on E-Cigarettes

Senate Democrats introduced a plan to tax e-cigarettes at the same rates as tobacco products, moving to curtail the use of smoking alternatives on the same day President Donald Trump said the federal government will restrict access to these devices.

“A new generation of nicotine users has been created virtually overnight, and the companies making billions are downplaying the health risks,” Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement Sept. 11. “It’s time to combat this growing public health threat by taxing e-cigarettes like tobacco cigarettes.”

The legislation would expand the definition of tobacco ...