E-cigarettes: France supports bill to outlaw single-use vaporizers

The French government has agreed to stop people from using disposable e-cigarettes because they are harmful to the environment and people’s health.

It still needs support from France’s Senate and approval from the EU Commission before it can become a law.

If both agree on the bill, the government thinks the ban will start in September 2024.

Many other countries in Europe, like the UK, Ireland, and Germany, are thinking about doing the same things.

Disposable vapes are sold in France at tobacconists for about €9 (£7. 70), which is less than the cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes. They are expected to provide about 600 puffs, which is like smoking 40 cigarettes.

In September, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who is frequently seen using a vaping device in parliament, announced that the government is working on a new plan to reduce smoking.

“Deputy Francesca Pasquini said that they are very cheap, have tasty fruity and sugary flavors, and are small enough to easily hide from parents. ”

Advocates say that companies, especially those in China, are purposefully trying to attract teenagers by making their products look like candy and offering lots of different flavors like marshmallow, chocolate, watermelon, and ice candy.

Last month, the Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT) said that 15% of French 13-16 year olds have tried smoking at least once. Many people say they began when they were 11 or 12 years old.
French leader Élisabeth Borne uses an e-cigarette while answering questions in a meeting at The National Assembly in Paris on 18 July 2023.

Disposable e-cigarettes can harm the environment too. In the UK, a study found that over one million electronic devices were being thrown away every week last year according to the environmental organization Material Focus.

Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau said that e-cigarettes are a big problem for the environment.

“It’s a big problem for the environment,” a group of French doctors and environmentalists wrote in Le Monde newspaper earlier this year.

They explained that each throwaway e-cigarette is made of plastic and has a non-removable battery with about 0. 15 grams of lithium, along with nicotine salts and a small amount of heavy metals.

Vaping is thought to be a little better for your health than smoking. But the vapor you breathe in can still have some of the same chemicals as cigarettes, like nicotine. Experts are saying that it’s too soon to know how bad vaping is for you.