- Belgium is the first EU country to ban disposable electronic cigarettes from January
- France has also received EU approval for a similar ban
- Many tobacco shops in Brussels are running out of disposable e-cigarettes because they cannot be restocked
Belgium is the first EU country to ban disposable electronic cigarettes from January
Belgium is the first country in the European Union (EU) to ban single-use electronic cigarettes, which are popular among young people because of their intoxicating flavors, such as apple, watermelon, and Coca-Cola, from 1 January. They will be banned as part of a national anti-tobacco plan to protect young people's health.
The European Union wants to make the younger generation tobacco-free by 2040 and to reduce the smoking population in the 27-nation bloc from around 25% today to less than 5%. Some EU countries are planning to move forward with this deadline.
E-cigarettes are often advertised as less harmful than traditional tobacco products. They attract younger consumers with their colorful packaging and more pleasant mouthfeel, and they do not leave unpleasant smoke odors on the fingers. However, e-cigarettes contain highly addictive nicotine and critics fear that they could be a stepping stone to traditional tobacco products.
Members of the Belgian Society for a Tobacco-Free Society say young people start using them without always knowing how much nicotine they contain, and some say they wake up at night to puff.
Belgium has reacted swiftly to the dangers posed by disposable electronic cigarettes, which entered the market more than five years ago. In 2021, the federal government submitted a proposal to the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to ban disposable cigarettes. The European Commission, which has to approve any marketing ban, gave Belgium the green light in March this year, paving the way for a national law to enter into force.
France has also received EU approval for a similar ban
Once in force, the law will ban the manufacture, sale and free offer of disposable e-cigarettes in France, with a fine of €100,000 for any infringements.
French and Belgian health authorities say that chronic nicotine use is particularly harmful to teenagers' brains and can lead to the use of other drugs. An EU study in 2023 showed that most e-cigarette users opted for rechargeable vapor, while disposable versions were popular among 15-24-year-olds.
Easy to use and ubiquitously promoted on social media, disposable vaporizers are also attractive due to their low price. A disposable e-cigarette costing €5 or €6 is half the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes. Some of these cigarettes can be puffed up to 9000 times, which is equivalent to more than 300 cigarettes.
Many tobacco shops in Brussels are running out of disposable e-cigarettes because they cannot be restocked
Some young people do not understand why vapor is banned and not equally dangerous tobacco.
Opponents point to the "ecological catastrophe" caused by disposable vapor. Belgium, in seeking EU support for the ban, argued that plastic disposable vapor with a lithium battery is usually discarded within five days of purchase, while rechargeable versions can last around six or seven months.
Based on ELTA reports
