France is set to prohibit disposable electronic cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, as part of the country’s efforts to combat smoking and curb tobacco use, announced French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne during an interview on RTL radio station on Sunday (September 3). This move comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted that only four countries have implemented all the recommended anti-tobacco measures to combat the “deadly scourge” of smoking.
In her conversation with RTL, the French Prime Minister stated that the government would “soon present a new national plan to fight against smoking with, in particular, the prohibition of disposable electronic cigarettes, the famous ‘puffs’ which give bad habits to young people,” as reported by The Guardian.
Borne emphasized that this is a significant public health concern, as smoking is responsible for 75,000 deaths annually in France. However, the plan does not involve raising tobacco taxes next year following a hike earlier this year.
The primary concern expressed by Borne is related to vapes or “puffs,” which she believes act as a gateway to smoking. She particularly noted her concerns about flavored cigarettes that resemble childhood sweets like marshmallow and bubblegum, priced at eight euros ($8.6) to 12 euros ($13) for 500 “puffs,” often targeting teenagers.
Reports indicate that vape usage, especially among teenagers in the European Union, has been on the rise. According to data from a 2022 ESCAPAD survey cited by the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), over half of 17-year-olds in France have tried vaping.
French President Emmanuel Macron had previously laid out an ambitious plan in 2021 to combat tobacco and alcohol consumption. The plan included increasing smoking-free areas and aiming to have all 20-year-olds be tobacco-free by 2030.
A report published by the United Nations health agency in July identified Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands, and Turkey as the only countries that have implemented all the recommended anti-tobacco measures. The report urged other nations to enhance their efforts to reduce tobacco use. These measures encompass advertising bans, mandatory health warnings on cigarette packaging, increased tobacco taxes, and support for individuals seeking to quit smoking.
According to the WHO, 71 percent of the world’s population, or 5.6 billion people, are now protected by at least one tobacco control measure. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted, “Slowly but surely, more and more people are being protected from the harms of tobacco.”
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