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ARE PUFFS A PROBLEM ?
Puffs are disposable electronic cigarettes that cannot be refilled or recharged.
They have been making headlines for some time now because of the attraction they hold for a very young demographic. Colourful, often very sweet-smelling, and relatively inexpensive, they have rapidly become a fashion accessory for teenagers and young adults.
It was inevitable that legislators in many countries would take up the issue, in response to legitimate public concern.
THE SITUATION IN FRANCE
On December 4, France's National Assembly passed the first reading of a bill aimed at banning puffs.
This decision is part of a vast anti-smoking plan due to be completed by 2032, with the intention of phasing out tobacco... and electronic cigarettes.
The bill has just been approved by the Senate (February 7, 2024) and still must be examined by the European Commission. It could be implemented as early as the summer of 2024.
If the bill goes through, it could mean a total ban on buying and vaping puffs in France.
While it may seem sensible to want to protect young people by banning them from using e-cigarettes, e-cigs were created as a method to help smokers quit without suffering from nicotine withdrawal.
For a former smoker, the electronic cigarette, 95% less harmful than tobacco, represents an immediate improvement in health and a drastic reduction in the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
But the same cannot be said for a consumer who is not a former smoker, addicted to nicotine, such as a young person.
If you don't smoke, don't vape.
Another criticism against puffs is their environmental impact.
Obviously, we can only support the argument that it's more environmentally friendly to buy long-lasting equipment that can be refilled and recharged.
We'd like to remind you that all Sweetch shops are equipped with recycling bins so that used puffs and e-cigarettes can be collected and transported to specialised recycling organisations.
THE SITUATION IN THE UK
The United Kingdom has a much more favourable position on electronic cigarettes than France. The UK Department of Health now recognises the potential of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool and is including them in its public health policy.
Here too, the forthcoming law will be part of a broader and highly ambitious framework, with the aim of making smoking a thing of the past by 2030.
But although puffs were initially welcomed by health authorities, they quickly rang alarm bells when they realised how attractive they were to young people.
While the UK has yet to set a precise timetable for banning puffs on its soil, the bill should pass through Parliament without difficulty, since the proposal is supported by both Conservative and Labour parties. The bill could come into force in early 2025.
As well as health concerns for teenagers, there is also a real ecological issue here. It has been estimated that 5 million puffs are thrown away every week, the equivalent in a year of 5,000 lithium batteries from electric cars.
CONCLUSION
As we can see, both the United Kingdom and France are making the ban on puffs a first step in more global anti-smoking campaign.
If electronic cigarettes are a smoking cessation tool, it seems only natural that, in the hypothetical future, they should disappear if conventional cigarettes are definitively eradicated.
That said, wishful thinking is not the order of the day and manufacturers of vape equipment have already adapted, with, for example, the development of pods with pre-filled cartridges that represent a middle ground between the puff and the traditional box. As easy to use as a puff, they are also more environmentally friendly since the battery is rechargeable and reusable.
