According to Le Progrès on October 10th, the European Union has approved a law banning disposable e-cigarettes in France. The law was passed by the National Assembly in December 2023 and later approved by the Senate, with only the EU's approval remaining. With the EU's approval now granted, it indicates that France will enforce the ban in the coming months.
A survey conducted by the Anti-Tobacco Alliance (ACT) in 2023 revealed that among teenagers aged 13 to 16, 73% of respondents had heard of disposable e-cigarettes, while 15% had used this product. Among users, 47% had their first exposure to nicotine through disposable e-cigarettes, and 23% subsequently moved on to other tobacco and nicotine products.
A bipartisan bill proposed by Francesca Pasquini was passed by the French Parliament in March of this year. At the time, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin condemned the issue of disposable e-cigarettes, referring to them as a "public health, social, and environmental scourge," and pointing out that the marketing of these products is aimed at attracting young people with bright colors, fruity flavors, and low prices.
The European Commission considers the ban to be "reasonable, necessary, and appropriate" on public health grounds, aimed at addressing relevant health issues.
However, the EU approval only applies to disposable e-cigarettes and does not affect other rechargeable e-cigarettes, as the sale of the latter remains permitted.
The European Commission stated:
According to the objectives of Directive 2014/40/EU, which aims to ensure a high level of human health protection, the manufacturing, holding, selling, distributing, or giving away of disposable e-cigarettes containing nicotine is prohibited in France. This ban complies with the requirements of Article 24(3) of the Directive and applies to disposable e-cigarettes placed on the market in France or already sold in France.
The French parliament can now formally confirm its vote to advance the final implementation of the law.
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