Virginia’s budget was passed on May 13. The bill included the tax hike from $0.06/ml to $0.11/ml.

The budget also included language creating a Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences. This subcommittee is tasked with studying the range of tobacco products and how tax policy can be more fair for local governments. While this does nothing to reduce the cost of switching to safer alternatives, the language indicates that the state recognizes the harm reduction value of smoke-free nicotine products and the subcommittee will be studying ways that Virginia’s laws can more formally recognize the “continuum of risk.”

Thank you to everyone who participated in this call to action.