Since January 1, 2025, disposable e-cigarettes have been banned for sale in Belgium.
They have won over young people, but not only that: for more than ten years, the electronic cigarette has established itself as an alternative to traditional cigarettes for some, and a fashion item for others. The phenomenon has grown so much that since the 1is January 2025, disposable e-cigarettes were banned for sale in Belgium. “Smoke your first cigarette“it was a way”to look cool” in front of friends. A trend which has gradually shifted towards e-cigarettes among teenagers. And the big players in the tobacco industry have understood this well. With its attractive tastes (vanilla, caramel, bubble gum,…) and its attractive design, it seduces.
A juicy business
This change in trend is obviously not trivial. With the decline of the classic model, and the measures that were approaching, reconversion was inevitable. And all the sales arguments on these products are directed towards the youngest, with or without nicotine. “For the moment, the classic cigarette is not popular. What do we do? We are creating a new product. And what are we doing to find new consumers? This is always what they have done, even with the classic cigarette: targeting young people. With social networks, it is even more complicated to control their communication with young people“, explain Nora Mélard, expert in tobacco prevention for the Cancer Foundation.
This obviously leads to challenging situations. “From the age of 11, we see some really very problematic behavior. There are tobacco specialists who tell us testimonies of young people who fall asleep with their electronic cigarette in their hands, who do nothing but that all day long..”
Has the classic cigarette trend among young people disappeared? Not sure… On the other hand, the tobacco industry’s business seems to be prospering, for the moment. “Young people do not realize at all that it is a tobacco product, that it is highly addictive. Some electronic cigarettes are even more addictive than traditional cigarettes because the tobacco industry has changed components to make nicotine much more addictive. Once a young person starts vaping, it is very difficult for them to stop.”
Diverted objectives
The electronic cigarette can be a smoking cessation tool, especially with the help of a professional. “The tobacco specialist will be able to advise you which model to choose. Not all electronic cigarettes are the same. They will not have the same functioning in relation to the arrival of nicotine in the brain, etc. And so, there are some which are more suitable for smoking cessation and which will really facilitate, in quotes, quitting. But the goal is really, gradually, to reduce the nicotine content so as not to continue consuming this product.“
Unfortunately, this is clearly not what industries have based their marketing on. The targets seem pretty obvious. “The tobacco industry has played its game very well. There is perhaps a little less risk than traditional cigarettes, and even then, we have little perspective on this. And we cannot deny that, in a very stereotypical way, Roger who has smoked for 35 years, and who wants to quit smoking, is not going to get the bubblegum taste.”
Despite everything, Belgium is the first country in Europe to ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes. A kind of avant-garde, which we hope will prosper for future generations.
