France plans to ban disposable electronic cigarettes, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne said in a radio interview, reports RTE.
“It’s an important public health issue,” Ms Bourne said, adding that the government was planning a national program to combat tobacco use, which she said was responsible for 75,000 deaths a year in France, reports RTE.
She added that so-called “puff” devices create habits among young people that can lead to tobacco addiction.
However, the Prime Minister said that the government has no plans to increase the tax on tobacco products next year after the increase this year.
French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled ambitious plans to tackle tobacco and alcohol problems in 2021, pledging more smoke-free areas and aiming to make all 20-year-olds smoke-free by 2030.
Several countries have taken action against vaping, including Australia, which banned recreational vaping in May and tightened other aspects of e-cigarette regulation, reports RTE.
By regulation, vapes are only sold in pharmacies and require “pharmaceutical type” packaging.
Earlier this year, Cabinet approved plans to ban the sale of vaping products to under-18s.
A bill to introduce the ban remains before the Oireachtas.
At the time, Tánaiste Michael Martin described vaping as “very dangerous, particularly for young people”, reports RTE.
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