Behind Polish Disposable Ban: More than 100 Million Units Sold by 2023

According to the media Rynekzdrowia, Polish Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna stated during a television interview that a proposal to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes is being planned and has received support from Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Leshi Qiuina pointed out that there are two solutions to this issue: one is for the Chief Health Inspector to issue relevant bans; the other, which is more in line with EU laws and will not result in lawsuits or international arbitration by companies, is to enact legislation and notify the EU.

A recent study has shown that the proportion of teenagers aged 15 to 18 using and smoking e-cigarettes has increased from 16% to 64%. Lech Szyba emphasized that these e-cigarettes may release harmful chemicals when heated, and preliminary information from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that these chemicals are extremely dangerous. She is taking immediate action to ban the sale of these e-cigarettes in Poland.

The Polish public health and medical departments, together with the finance department, are advancing this legislation, particularly focusing on the proposed amendments aimed at preventing the use of disposable e-cigarettes.

The Polish government is planning to specifically protect young people, a move supported by many healthcare professionals and patients. Małgorzata Niemczyk, Chair of the Equip Research Committee, pointed out that these types of e-cigarettes not only contain nicotine, but also sweeteners – sucralose – which is 300 to 800 times sweeter than sugar.

In recent years, the sales of disposable e-cigarettes in Poland have skyrocketed. Data shows that sales reached 32 million units in 2022 and surpassed 100 million units by 2023.

According to data from the World Health Organization, one out of every five cigarettes sold globally is a disposable flavored e-cigarette. A report from the Market Monitoring Center cites that the market value of disposable e-cigarettes in Poland is approximately 2 billion Polish złoty.

Director of the Department of Public Health Dariusz Poznański pointed out that among European Union countries, Poland ranks at the top when it comes to widespread usage of e-cigarettes among children and teenagers. Data shows that one in every four individuals under the age of 18 uses e-cigarettes. However, measures to prohibit sales to those under 18 have proven to be largely ineffective.

It is worth noting that countries such as the UK, Australia, France, Germany, and New Zealand have already stated that they will ban disposable e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, the Public Education Foundation is urging Deputy Minister of Health Wojciech Konieczny to quickly implement EU regulations on banning heated tobacco products.