While France has obtained the green light from the European Commission to ban these disposable electronic cigarettes, the Minister of Health wants a final adoption in Parliament to take place quickly.
It is a legislative process that goes back more than two years and the Minister of Health wants it to be completed “as quickly as possible”. Catherine Vautrin is pleading this Friday, January 3 on RTL for rapid registration in the National Assembly of the text consisting of banning “puffs” in France, the name of these disposable electronic cigarettes popular among young people, which present certain health risks.
This measure is the subject of a transpartisan bill from November 2022. One year later, the National Assembly adopts the text, as does the Senate in February 2024. An agreement is then reached between deputies and senators in a joint committee on March 13.
Already Minister of Health at this time, Catherine Vautrin then contacted the European Commission “so that it confirms France’s decision”. What it did on Wednesday September 25, 2024. From now on, the ban must be definitively validated by the French Parliament.
“Let us put it on the agenda of the National Assembly as quickly as possible,” urged Catherine Vautrin this Friday, specifying that she will “discuss it with the President of the National Assembly,” Yaël Braun-Pivet .
18% of young people have already used “puffs”
The text from the CMP presents a unique article. Intending to modify the public health code, it prohibits “the manufacture, possession with a view to sale, distribution or free offer, offering for sale, sale, distribution or “free offer” of “puffs”. Under this future law, selling single-use vaping devices would be punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 euros.
Very popular with young people, despite their ban on sale to minors, these devices which replace tobacco consumption appeared on the French market in 2021. According to a survey by the Alliance Against Tobacco, dating from November 24, 2024, the puff is “by far the best known nicotine product” by young people, i.e. 81% of adolescents aged 13 to 16 (+8 points in one year), and the most consumed, 18% having already used it (including 11% “once or twice”, 4% regularly).
From a health point of view, “puffs” have been denounced as being a “particularly sneaky trap for children and adolescents”, according to the National Academy of Medicinesome cigarettes may contain nicotine, therefore creating a strong dependence and encouraging smoking. Non-rechargeable, made of microplastics, a non-recyclable lithium battery and chemicals, they also have consequences for the environment.
