Indiana House lawmakers Tuesday narrowly approved a new tax on electronic cigarettes.

The tax would be 4 cents for every milliliter of vaping products that contain nicotine.  Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville), the bill’s author, says that’s less than what’s imposed on regular cigarettes.

But Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend) says there’s been too many tax increases in the last few years on what he calls “the little guy.”

“And now we’re raising taxes on people who might be trying to quit smoking by using vaping devices. It’s too much,” Dvorak says. “It’s not a coherent tax policy.”

But Rep. Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) says the state must address vaping’s burgeoning use.

“What’s happening now with our young people, middle school and high school? 78 percent increase, just here in Indiana,” Klinker says.

The bill passed 53-40 and heads to the Senate.