As the e-cigarettes are not subjected to excise duties and taxes, these are generally perceived to be cheaper than the traditional combustible cigarettes. A recent study, however, shatters the misconception about e-cigarettes being a cost-effective alternative for the smokers.

The initial cost involved in vaping e-cigarettes is almost twice the cost associated with its traditional counterpart, reveals the study conducted by the American Cancer Society in association with the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

The study involved assessing the price of e-cigarettes in comparison with regular tobacco cigarettes in 45 countries around the globe. The findings show that e-cigarettes actually cost higher than the conventional cigarettes in all the countries, barring just one. While the e-cigarettes are usually marketed as an affordable alternative that can aid the smokers in quitting tobacco, the research does raise question marks over whether vaping liquid nicotine is really as affordable as they are projected to be.

A comparative analysis was performed on the starting cost of regular cigarettes against two types of e-cigarettes available in the market – disposable e-cigarettes and refillable e-cigarettes. The researchers found that the disposable e-cigarettes cost nearly double the price of an equivalent amount of regular cigarettes ($5.00 and $8.50, subsequently). While the liquid nicotine used in the refillable e-cigarettes can cost a couple of dollars less, one has to shell out an additional $20 to purchase a refillable cartridge – which, at the start, eventually makes it more expensive compared to the regular combustible cigarettes.

Among the countries that were a part of this research, United Kingdom is the only nation where the costs of e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes are almost identical (pack of regular cigarettes averaging nearly $14 USD). The researchers are unsure of whether price equality between cigarettes and e-cigarettes is the way forward, but they are in complete agreement that increasing the price of cigarettes through excise taxes is the right practice to persuade the smokers into quitting.