France Plans to Ban Disposable Vapes—This Time It May Be Serious

According to European media ESM on September 3, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne told RTL radio that France plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes.

Borne stated, "This is an important public health issue," adding that the government is developing a national smoking ban plan, noting that smoking causes 75,000 deaths in France each year. She added that so-called "puffing" devices have cultivated habits among young people that may lead to tobacco addiction. However, the Prime Minister stated that the government does not plan to increase tobacco taxes next year, despite this year's increase.

In fact, according to long-term tracking by Guo Wu Consumption, France's attitude towards a disposable ban has been inconsistent. For example, in July of this year, Borne transferred the health minister position from François Braun to Aurélien Rousseau. This event was seen as a signal that the disposable ban was being shelved, with relevant details outlined by Guo Wu Consumption as follows:

Firstly: The former minister took a hard stance on e-cigarettes
During his tenure, François Braun took a hard line on e-cigarettes, viewing them as products that pose an "extreme danger" to youth, and pushed for a comprehensive ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
Secondly: The new minister may have a more open attitude towards e-cigarettes
Although the new minister's official stance has not yet been made public, he has closely collaborated with Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who has been using e-cigarettes in parliament, leading to expectations that he may have a more open and inclusive attitude towards the e-cigarette market.

However, it seems that since this statement was made directly by Élisabeth Borne, the direction of events may further progress towards the implementation of the ban. The biggest resistance may come from local tobacco sales channels.

In fact, disposable e-cigarettes have rapidly gained popularity in France since 2021, and due to regulatory loopholes in emerging channels like convenience stores and online platforms, minors can easily access disposables.
In response, France proposed legislation targeting disposables in 2022, but it was never implemented. The root cause lies in tobacco retailers wanting to secure exclusive sales rights for disposables, which have become an important sales category. France has over 23,000 tobacco shops, with annual sales reaching €3.6 billion, and disposables can contribute €140 million;

For some tobacco shops, disposables can even account for more than half of their sales—tobacco channels expressed last November that they hope to address the issue of inadequate age verification through franchising.