Belgium Becomes First EU Country to Ban Disposable Vaping Devices
For health and environmental reasons, Belgium will ban the sale of disposable vaping devices starting January 1, marking a groundbreaking move within the EU. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said cheap vaping products have become a health threat becaus
For health and environmental reasons, Belgium will ban the sale of disposable vaping devices starting January 1, a groundbreaking move among EU countries.
Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said cheap e-cigarettes have become a health threat because they can easily hook young people on smoking and nicotine addiction.
According to NPR, he said in an interview, “Disposable e-cigarettes are a new product designed simply to attract new consumers.”
Because they are single-use products, the plastic, batteries, and circuits are a burden on the environment. In addition, “they also create harmful chemical waste that remains in the trash people throw away,” Vandenbroucke said, adding that he hopes the EU’s 27 member states will adopt stricter tobacco measures.
He said, “We sincerely call on the European Commission to take new initiatives now to update and modernize tobacco legislation.”
Even some shops that sell vaping products said they understand Belgium’s decision, especially given the environmental concerns.
After the e-cigarette is used up, “the battery is still working. That’s the scariest part. You can recharge it, but you can’t really refill it,” said Steven Pomeranc, owner of the Vapotheque shop in Brussels. “So you can imagine the level of pollution it causes.”
A ban usually means economic losses for the industry, but Pomeranc believes the impact will not be too severe.
“We have many alternative solutions, and they are very easy to use,” he said. “For example, this pod system comes pre-filled with e-liquid and can be attached directly to a rechargeable vaping device. So our customers will switch to this new system.”
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