Synopsis
Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes from Jan. 1. The ban is due to health and environmental concerns. Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke emphasized that these products attract teenagers to nicotine addiction. Reusable e-cigarettes could help people quit smoking. This move positions Belgium as a leader in the European Union for tobacco control. AP A man vapes on a disposable electronic cigarette in Brussels BRUSSELS: Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations.
Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke said the inexpensive e-cigarettes had turned into a health threat since they are an easy way for teenagers to be drawn into smoking and get hooked on nicotine.
“Disposable e-cigarettes is a new product simply designed to attract new consumers,” he said in an interview.
“E-cigarettes often contain nicotine. Nicotine makes you addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is bad for your health. These are fact,” Vandenbroucke added.
Because they are disposable, the plastic, battery and circuits are a burden on the environment. On top of that, “they create hazardous waste chemicals still present in what people throw away,” Vandenbroucke said.
The health minister said he also targeted the disposable e-cigarettes becaus
Read More