Utah moves to tax e-cigarettes like regular smokes

(AP)—A proposal in the Utah legislature that would tax electronic cigarettes at the same rate as regular cigarettes has put the state at the forefront of a national movement to regulate the increasingly popular devices.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says more than 35 proposals calling for some type of regulation of electronic cigarettes have been introduced this year across the country, but Utah seems to be the only state currently proposing that they be taxed like regular tobacco.

Often called "e-cigarettes," the battery-powered devices heat a liquid nicotine solution and create vapor that users inhale. Their popularity has spiked in recent years.

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