France is gearing up to outlaw disposable e-cigarettes or vapes, which are commonly referred to as “puffs,” due to their detrimental impact on the environment and public health.
In a recent statement on RTL radio, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne unveiled this move as part of a comprehensive anti-smoking strategy being crafted by the government. The ban is expected to be in effect by year-end, according to campaigners.
Several other European countries, including Germany, Belgium, and Ireland, have already declared similar bans, while the UK is reportedly contemplating a comparable action.
Sold openly by tobacco retailers, disposable e-cigarettes in France are priced at approximately R180, making them more affordable than a pack of 20 traditional cigarettes in that country. These disposables claim to offer around 600 puffs, roughly equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes.
However, France’s National Academy of Medicine has strongly criticized them as a “deceptive allure for children and adolescents.” Élisabeth Borne further emphasized that “they instil a habit, a gesture, which children become accustomed to, ultimately leading them towards tobacco.”
Advocates assert that manufacturers, many of whom are based in China, intentionally target teenagers by using vibrant colours and a variety of enticing flavours reminiscent of a confectionery shop. Flavours like marshmallow, chocolate, hazelnut, watermelon, and ice candy are among the offerings. According to the Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT), 13% of 13-16-year-olds have experimented with “puffs” at least once, with most initiating this habit around the ages of 11 or 12.
“This ban represents a significant triumph for civil society. These disposable e-cigarettes are serving as a gateway to smoking for young people,” remarked ACT president Loïc Josseran. He added, “It has reached epidemic proportions. It is disheartening how the tobacco industry deliberately aims to ensnare children.”
Environmental concerns have also come to the forefront too, with campaigners highlighting the ecological damage wrought by disposable e-cigarettes. In the UK, a study conducted last year by the environmental organization Material Focus revealed that over one million e-cigarette devices were discarded each week.
Described as an “environmental menace” by a group of French doctors and environmentalists in Le Monde newspaper earlier this year, each disposable e-cigarette is constructed from plastic and contains an irremovable battery with approximately 0.15 grams of lithium, along with nicotine salts and traces of heavy metals.
