France became on Tuesday the second European country, after Belgium, to ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes on its territory. Known as "puffs", MPs argued they are gateways to tobacco addiction for teenagers and harmful to the environment.
The bill – which comes into force on Tuesday – was approved unanimously by lawmakers on 13 February after a two-year process.
The bill prohibits the sale and distribution in France of devices "pre-filled with a liquid and not refillable, whether or not they have a rechargeable battery."
Pre-filled disposable e-cigarettes, known as "puffs", are popular with young people, can have a high nicotine content, are cheap, and come in many flavours including apple, watermelon and chocolate.
The wording follows the recommendations of the European Commission.
This is a "strong measure" which will make it possible to "protect our youth and prevent the spread of new vectors of entry into smoking and addiction", Health Minister Yannick Neuder, in a message published on social media platform X.
In a statement, the League Against Cancer association hailed a "major breakthrough" but urged authorities to go further by "banning new nicotine products and derivatives."
Affordable, enticing flavours
A 2023 EU study found that while rechargeable cigarettes – or vapes – are more commonly used, single-use vapes remain particularly popular among people aged 15 to 24.
Fifteen percent of adolescents aged 13 to 16 have already used "puffs" and, among them, 47 percent say they began their introduction to nicotine this way, according to a 2023 BVA survey for Alliance against Tobacco (ACT).
Their affordability and ease of use, combined with widespread social media marketing, make them even more enticing to young buyers.
Health authorities in France and Belgium say that chronic nicotine consumption is especially harmful to the adolescent brain and could encourage use of other drugs.
EU moves to ban smoking and vaping in outdoor spaces
In December 2024, Belgium approved legislation to become the first EU country to ban disposable e-cigarettes, with a ban from 1 January.
The European Union aims to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2040, reducing the 27-country bloc's smoking population from around 25 percent now to less than five percent of the total.
"It is a great victory in a two-pronged battle that we were fighting: an environmental battle against the polluting lithium batteries in these 'puffs', and a health battle for our schoolchildren," Francesca Pasquini, the author of the bill, told French news agency AFP.
She said she hoped that France's example could inspire other countries.
The United Kingdom has already announced a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes by June this year.
(with AFP)
