The government claims that single-use electronic cigarettes encourage “bad habits” in youths and are bad for the environment, so the French parliament has supported a motion to outlaw them.
The move still requires approval from the EU Commission and support from the senators of France’s upper house. The national assembly voted in favour of it unanimously late on Monday.
Young people like using inexpensive, disposable e-cigarettes that are pre-filled; in France, these are called puffs. They can contain a lot of nicotine and are available in a variety of tastes.
According to the French health minister, they create a gateway to severe addiction.
The Member of Parliament who introduced the proposed legislation in November of last year stated: “They are incredibly affordable, appealing in their fruity and sweet flavours, and simple to conceal from guardians due to their small size.”
According to the bill’s co-sponsor, the National Academy of Medicine in France classified disposable vaporizers as a deceptive trap, particularly for young people.
The French prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, has endorsed the resolution, which received support from all 104 members of parliament present. Borne had called for a ban on single-use vaping devices in September, accusing them of instilling “destructive habits” in young people.
Members of parliament attacked the disposable e-cigarettes’ ecological effects, referring to them as a “environmental calamity” by Rousseau.
The bill, a component of a larger government anti-smoking initiative, will be presented to the senate for ratification. The EU Commission must then give it the go-ahead, and they will specifically decide if a ban would be a “proportionate” reaction to the issue.
The administration stated that it hoped the prohibition will take effect by September 2024, if it receives the commission’s approval.
The French campaign against puffs was launched two years ago; Germany and Ireland have already taken similar steps.
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