France Considers Banning Disposable E-Cigarettes Amidst Rising Concerns Over Teen Smoking

France is weighing a potential ban on disposable electronic cigarettes, popularly known also as 'Puff Bars,' amidst growing concerns over their increasing popularity among teenagers.

This step, announced by French Health Minister François Braun, would form part of the government's broader anti-smoking strategy for the next five years. The need for the ban comes as a response to the alarming fact that smoking-related health issues claim around 75,000 lives annually in France alone.

These disposable e-cigarettes, available in various sweet and fruit flavours, are attractively packaged and marketed at affordable prices ranging from €8 to €12 (CHF8 to CHF12) for 500 puffs. Critics argue that the many brands selling these products in France are strategically targeting adolescents, despite regulations prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors.

According to the Alliance Against Tobacco (Alliance contre le tabac, ACT), disposable devices have gained popularity on social media platforms, where they are falsely portrayed to young people as being positive and harmless. The group has raised concerns about these e-cigarettes containing to the maximum legal dose of 20 milligrams per millilitre of highly addictive nicotine, thereby possibly serving as a gateway to conventional smoking. The ACT themselves with more than 20 other environmental and public health associations also call for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes. In their open letter, the NGO’s denounce in addition to the health aspects the environmental scourge these products represent.

Comparatively, in Switzerland e-cigarettes and tobacco products are insufficiently regulated. Despite the high financial costs associated with tobacco consumption in Switzerland, which is estimated at over CHF 6.16 billion annually (see economic costs page AT), the Swiss government has been passive in establishing robust tobacco control measures. The country has one of the weakest tobacco tax systems globally, significantly lagging behind countries like France, Australia, and New Zealand. In the European Tobacco Control Scale 2021, Switzerland placed second last.

Unlike France, where the government is beginning to embark on policy initiatives to curb e-cigarette use and associated health hazards, Switzerland has been until now totally invisible in regulating e-cigarettes. This lack of serious legal framework is fuelling a nicotine tsunami in Swiss schools and will lead to a public health crisis in the long-term. In March 2023, the green MP Christophe Clivaz also introduced a parliamentary motion to the Swiss Parliament asking for a ban of disposable ENDS. Some newspapers were quick in announcing that Switzerland also wants to ban them. In reality, the motion of MP Clivaz stands almost no chance in being accepted by a Parliament firmly controlled by the tobacco lobby.

France’s efforts to combat the menace of smoking and curb nicotine addiction among its youth by proposing to ban disposable e-cigarettes should serve as an eye-opener for Switzerland. An urgent reconsideration of its current tobacco tax policies and e-cigarette regulations is needed to mitigate the health and economic consequences of smoking.

Moving forward, Switzerland should consider looking into models like France and New Zealand to adopt more assertive anti-smoking strategies. These could include adopting stricter regulations for e-cigarettes, especially the marketing towards adolescents; implementing a robust tobacco taxation system; and investing more in public awareness campaigns about the harmful effects of smoking. These steps could save lives and reduce the economic burden associated with tobacco consumption.

References:

• https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/05/03/france-weighing-ban-on-disposable-e-cigarettes_6025253_7.html#:~:text=The%20French%20government%20may%20ban,said%20on%20Wednesday%2C%20May%203.
• https://alliancecontreletabac.org/2023/04/13/pour-linterdiction-de-la-cigarette-electronique-jetable-puff-fleau-environnemental-et-sanitaire/
• https://www.at-schweiz.ch/de/news-medien/news/eindammung-des-tabakkonsums-schweiz-erneut-auf-zweitletztem-platz-im-europaischen-ranking/
• https://www.at-schweiz.ch/en/latest-stories/news/ein-nikotintsunami-uberrollt-unsere-schulplatze/
• https://www.at-schweiz.ch/en/latest-stories/news/neuseeland-erneut-vorreiter-bei-der-tabakkontrolle-die-schweiz-bleibt-weit-zuruck/
• https://www.parlament.ch/fr/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20233109