France is poised to implement a ban on disposable e-cigarettes, locally referred to as “puffs,” citing their detrimental impact on the environment and public health. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne recently announced this measure on RTL radio as part of a broader anti-smoking plan being developed by the government. Campaigners anticipate the ban will take effect by the end of the year, aligning with similar prohibitions already announced in several European countries, including Germany, Belgium, and Ireland, with the UK also reportedly contemplating such a move.
These disposable vapes, readily available at tobacconists in France for approximately €9 (£7.70), offer around 600 puffs, roughly equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes. However, France’s National Academy of Medicine has criticized them as a “particularly sly trap for children and adolescents.”
Prime Minister Borne underscores the concern that disposable e-cigarettes create a habitual gesture in children that may eventually lead them to traditional tobacco use. Advocates assert that manufacturers, many of whom are based in China, deliberately target teenagers by using vibrant colors and a variety of flavors reminiscent of candy shops, such as marshmallow, chocolate, hazelnut, watermelon, and ice candy.
In addition to health concerns, campaigners emphasize the ecological harm posed by disposable e-cigarettes. A study conducted in the UK last year by environmental organization Material Focus revealed that over one million devices were discarded weekly. French doctors and environmentalists have decried the “environmental plague” caused by these devices, noting that each disposable e-cigarette is composed of plastic and includes an irremovable battery containing approximately 0.15 grams of lithium, along with nicotine salts and traces of heavy metals.
