France votes to ban disposable vapes

Disposable e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that do not contain tobacco, but many include nicotine, a chemical that can be highly addictive.

By Aaliyah Harris, news reporter

Tuesday 5 December 2023 15:53, UK

A bill to ban the single use of disposable e-cigarettes has been approved in France.

The country’s national assembly voted on the ban on Monday, with 104 in favour and zero against.

Should the bill be adopted by the senate, it could come into effect by September next year.

Disposable e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that do not contain tobacco, but many include nicotine, a dangerous chemical that can be highly addictive.

Unlike reusable vaping devices, “puffs” are made for single use and are not designed to be refilled or recharged.

They have small, non-rechargeable lithium batteries which often end up in landfills.

E-cigarettes – which cost around €10 euros (£8.57) each – are particularly popular among young people who are attracted to their range of sweet flavours.

According to the NHS, a UK standard disposable vape delivers a similar amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes.

The bill is a part of a broader trend where countries such as the UK, Ireland, and Germany are considering similar measures.

New Zealand and Australia have already implemented restrictions, mandating lower nicotine levels and restrictions on vape shop locations near schools.

In 2020, the US food and drug administration cracked down on flavoured reusable e-cigarettes, with some companies blocked from selling e-cigarettes after it was found to have played a “disproportionate role in the rise of youth vaping”.