How Much Do Iowans Spend on Disposable Vapes?

I used to vape like a chimney shortly after I graduated college. It was a habit that last for about five years, longer than it should've. I can't deny: I enjoyed it. Call it the Freudian complex of wanting to do something with your hands. My habit intensified in the summers, when nicer weather meant more time outdoors. While I'd be lying if I said I don't miss vaping, I don't miss the heavy feeling in my lungs during the winter month, when the cold air made it difficult to breathe.

Vaping has only become more ubiquitous. Devices are sold in almost any convenience store and gas station, and the advent of disposable vaping devices has broken down a barrier of entry of sorts (you don't have to buy liquid, cartridges, etc). A new state-by-state analysis by Compare the Market highlighted the great cost disparity of vaping depending on the state in which you reside. I decided to take a look at Iowa specifically.

READ MORE: Illinois Could Soon Ban Flavored Vapes, Menthol Cigarettes

How Much Does the Average Vaper in Iowa Spend?:

Compare the Market's calculations average the cost of two 12mL vaping devices per month at $16.99 after state tax is added.

With that configuration in mind, the average Iowa vaper spends approximately $407.76 per year on disposable devices. Again, for clarity, disposable vapes can have anywhere from 500 to 4,000 "puffs" per device. Depending on how active of a vaper you are, a disposable device can last you a week. If you're a heavy user, so to speak, you might be going through one every two or three days.

How Much Does Iowa Collectively Spend on Disposable Vapes?:

Compare the Market estimates there are 292,600 e-cigarette/vape users in Iowa. With that figure in mind, consumers in the state spend over $119 million annually on vaping devices.

The difficulty in getting accurate figures on this is in relation to how different states implement different taxes on devices like these. State taxes on vaping products vary widely. For example, the taxes on these items in California are exorbitantly higher than those in Iowa. This creates a tremendous price disparity:

• Some states charge a fixed rate per millilitre of e-liquid
• Others apply a percentage tax on wholesale or retail price
• A few states impose no tax at all

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See Compare the Market's full analysis on vaping on a state-by-state basis on their website.