The French Minister of Health stated that he supports e-cigarettes instead of cigarettes, but one-time use is “excluded”. He also expressed the hope that the ban on “disposable e-cigarettes” will be implemented in the fall of 2023.
It is reported that French Health Minister François Braun (François Braun) recently stated that he plans to allow pharmacists to prescribe e-cigarettes as a treatment for nicotine substitutes. But Braun said puffs, the French term for disposable e-cigarettes, would not be included in those prescriptions because they were “not helpful for quitting smoking”. At this point, Braun reiterated his intention to ban disposable e-cigarettes, stating on a French news program that “disposable e-cigarettes are not going to get people to quit smoking”. The prescription would exclude “these colorful, disposable products” that “lead young people to smoke,” he said. Only “nicotine replacement and e-cigarettes” are included in the prescription, products that “can gradually reduce nicotine consumption and stop smoking”.
French lawmakers hope that the ban on “disposable electronic cigarettes” will be implemented in the fall of 2023. As the country’s health minister, Braun also said he was considering “allowing pharmacists to prescribe e-cigarette products as nicotine substitutes (d’ouvrir aux pharmaciens la prescription des cigarettes électroniques utilisées)”. Earlier, Braun said the French government could ban disposable e-cigarettes by the end of this year as part of a “new anti-smoking plan” drawn up by the Ministry of Health over the next five years.
France reiterated its desire to ban disposables, still based on the popularity of disposable e-cigarettes among young people and their impact on young people’s health.
Following in the footsteps of the disposable, several European countries such as Germany, Belgium and Ireland have launched such campaigns against the disposable. France may also debate and discuss decisions on a one-off at a meeting in October or November this year.
At the same time, new types of tobacco in France may be taxed in the future.
Asked about the levy, Braun replied that it was “on the table as part of the government’s next anti-smoking plan”, scheduled for 2023-2028. He added: “All tobacco products, such as heated and chewing tobacco, are taxed in the same way as cigarettes.”
From the perspective of the French market, disposables do not occupy the mainstream position, but in some European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain, disposables are already the mainstream category. From the French official point of view, the attitude towards the one-off does not seem to be friendly, and it is worth paying attention to how it will go in the future.
But on the other hand, France also supports e-cigarettes as a cigarette replacement solution, and is considering opening prescriptions for e-cigarettes used as nicotine substitutes to pharmacists. This is similar to the UK, which supports the future development of e-cigarettes!
