The Daily Populous Monday December 30th, 2024 night edition
Authored by abcnews.go.com and submitted by No-Information6622

Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations

Belgium will ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes in a first for the EU

BRUSSELS -- Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations.

Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke said the inexpensive e-cigarettes had turned into a health threat since they are an easy way for teenagers to be drawn into smoking and get hooked on nicotine.

“Disposable e-cigarettes is a new product simply designed to attract new consumers,” he said in an interview.

“E-cigarettes often contain nicotine. Nicotine makes you addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is bad for your health. These are fact,” Vandenbroucke added.

Because they are disposable, the plastic, battery and circuits are a burden on the environment. On top of that, “they create hazardous waste chemicals still present in what people throw away,” Vandenbroucke said.

The health minister said he also targeted the disposable e-cigarettes because reusable ones could be a tool to help people quit smoking if they cannot find another way.

Australia outlawed the sale of “ vapes” outside pharmacies earlier this year in some of the world’s toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes. Now Belgium is leading the EU drive.

“We are the first country in Europe to do so,” Vandenbroucke said.

He wants tougher tobacco measures in the 27-nation bloc.

“We are really calling on the European Commission to come forward now with new initiatives to update, to modernize, the tobacco legislation,” he said.

There is understanding about Belgium's decision, even in some shops selling electronic cigarettes, and especially on the environmental issue.

Once the cigarette is empty, “the battery is still working. That’s what is terrible, is that you could recharge it, but you have no way of recharging it,” said Steven Pomeranc, owner of the Brussels Vapotheque shop. "So you can imagine the level of pollution it creates.”

A ban usually means a financial loss to the industry, but Pomeranc said he thinks it will not hurt too much.

“We have a lot of alternative solutions which are also very easy to use," he said. "Like this pod system, which are pre-filled with liquid, which can just be clipped into the rechargeable e-cigarette. So we will simply have a shift of clients towards this new system.”

Associated Press writer Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.

unematti on December 29th, 2024 at 21:36 UTC »

FINALLY.

NightmareHuntress on December 29th, 2024 at 21:21 UTC »

Pretty sure France already did it and after early 2025 it should be effectively banned. Bad news is that this industry is ahead and ready to sell something similar that will get around the law...

Salavtore on December 29th, 2024 at 19:17 UTC »

This will rock the middle schoolers and bald men everywhere.

Jokes aside, this is great. I had no idea that you could by something with a UI, interface, rechargeable battery... then simply toss it out by next week. What a waste of effort making that. Plus, kids are delving way too early into nicotine addiction because of these.