2023-12-04 16:26:43
December 4, 2023
The text of the law on a possible ban on the puff, this disposable electronic cigarette, is being discussed this Monday in the National Assembly. She is particularly accused of pushing young people towards an addiction to nicotine.
The puff arrives this Monday, December 4 at the National Assembly. MPs are considering a bill to ban these disposable cigarettes. The text, supported by the government, will then go to the Senate for a ban in the summer of 2024, if it is adopted. The puff, an English word meaning puff, is a disposable, pre-filled and pre-charged electronic cigarette, sold in tobacco shops for between 7 and 12 euros. It is available in various flavors – chocolate, strawberry, mango, cotton candy, etc. – in a wide range of bright colors. It can contain up to 20 mg/ml of nicotine salts, for those manufactured within the European Union.
Created in 2019, arriving on the French market in 2020, the puff particularly appeals to younger people. This is the first reason that pushes parliamentarians to want to ban it. “The brain is particularly vulnerable during adolescence and addiction can develop quickly – a few weeks of use is enough,” notes the French Federation of Cardiology, on its website.
Tastes and colors that attract
In October 2022, the Alliance Against Tobacco conducted a survey among 13 – 16 year olds. 13% of them indicated that they had already tested the puff, 9% had already purchased it; the sale of the puff is however prohibited to minors. 61% said the puff allowed them to discover original tastes, while 52% said it was fun to play with the cloud of vapor. “For more than half of adolescents who have already heard of Puff, the original and fruity flavors represent the first argument pushing them to try Puff,” adds the Alliance Against Tobacco
Other information from this survey, half of the adolescents who said they had already heard of the puff (2/3 of respondents), indicated that it was used above all within school grounds or after classes.
“A pediatric epidemic”
“Banning the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes in France is the right decision to take if we do not want to see this pediatric epidemic of nicotine addiction accelerate,” declared Loïc Josseran, president of the ACT-Alliance against tobacco. Just like the French Federation of Cardiology, the Alliance Against Tobacco emphasizes that “the nicotine level (up to 20 mg/mL) is high enough to create strong dependence and constitute a gateway to smoking.” Furthermore, “Using the Puff increases the risk of developing inflammation of the respiratory tract and impacts the cognitive acquisitions of young people.”
The issue of the text presented to the National Assembly is also environmental. The puff is made of plastic and contains a lithium battery that is thrown away after a few days of use.
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Source : Alliance against tobacco, French Cardiology Federation
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Written by : Dorothée Duchemin – Edited by Vincent Roche
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