France Announces Disposable Vape Ban

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Facts

  • On Sunday, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne told reporters that the new government strategy against smoking would include a ban on disposable vapes, saying that vaping acts as a gateway to smoking tobacco.1
  • Every year, smoking kills 75K in France, with Borne saying that vaping instills the 'reflex' of smoking cigarettes. The advocacy group Alliance Against Tobacco says 13% of French teens between the ages of 13-16 have tried disposable e-cigarettes.2
  • France's 2024 budget will include new measures against smoking, with the Prime Minister saying that a tax hike against tobacco is not planned. There's no timeline for the proposed ban, with the government saying it's set to be enacted before the end of 2023.1
  • The disposable vapes come in sweet and fruity flavors that critics say encourage teens to use the nicotine products.3
  • In 2021, French Pres. Emmanuel Macron laid out an ambitious anti-smoking plan, which includes pledging more smoke-free areas and a goal to have all French 20-year-olds tobacco-free by 2030.4
  • Bans or restrictions are in effect or being discussed in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and Ireland. Aside from concerns that vaping may harm respiratory health, a British recycling group estimates that 1.3M disposable vapes are thrown out every week.2

Sources: 1Guardian, 2The telegraph, 3Abc news and 4Rte.ie.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Le monde.fr. The overwhelming majority of health experts believe that vapes pose a threat to respiratory health and expose young people to nicotine addiction. Disposable vapes come in flavors clearly designed to target the young, whose low cost and discreet use make them even more appealing. We cannot lose the fight against smoking by letting a new generation become addicted to vaping.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by NBC. These vaping bans will do more harm than good, as it deprives the public of a key harm reduction tool. For adults addicted to nicotine, vaping does provide a safer alternative than tobacco smoking. By forcing vaping underground, the consumers will suffer due to a lack of regulation and quality control while depriving them of choice. Like all heavy-handed bans, this move will backfire.