The European Commission on Sept. 25 approved France’s bid to ban disposable vapes, reports the Connexion.
France started the process of banning single-use e-cigarettes in December 2023, citing concerns about youth uptake and environmental pollution. Disposable vapes contain microplastics and chemical substances and are generally powered by nonrechargeable, nonrecyclable lithium batteries.
The National Assembly’s proposed ban gained approval in the French Senate in February 2024.
Europe’s validation was the final step in making the ban possible.
“This is a great victory for the environment and for the health of our children, who are the main targets of these marketing campaigns,” Francesca Pasquini, co-writer of the bill, was quoted as saying.
Lawmakers have yet to determine when the legislation will take force. The next step is for senators to vote definitively on a ban before it is formally put into effect.
France will be joining Belgium, where the sale of disposable vapes will be illegal from Jan. 1, 2025.
According to an investigation by the French anti-smoking federation ACT, 15 percent of teenagers aged between 13 and 16 have used e-cigarettes.