The French authorities are planning to introduce a ban on disposable e-cigarettes to combat the increase in the number of smokers, Prime Minister Elisabeth Born said on the radio station RTL.
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“Tobacco is 75,000 deaths a year, it’s colossal. The government will soon introduce a new national plan to combat tobacco smoking, including, among other things, a ban on disposable electronic cigarettes, known as “puffs”, which contribute to the development of harmful habits among young people,” the head of the government said.
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According to her, there is an increase in tobacco consumption in France and the government will take measures to combat tobacco smoking as part of the national plan for 2023-2028. At the same time, the authorities will not raise the price of regular cigarettes.
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“We’ve already raised the tobacco tax this year and don’t plan to do so next year,” Bourne said.
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The French media reported that the authorities could again raise the price of a pack of cigarettes to 12 euros (now it costs 11 euros).
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At the end of April, Monde published an appeal from a group of doctors and environmentalists who called for an immediate ban on “puffs”, which appeared in France in 2021, because of their harm to health and the environment. As noted by the newspaper, some European countries, including Germany, Belgium and Ireland, have already introduced a similar ban.
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At the same time, Bourne herself does not set a good example for young people. In June, she faced criticism from the opposition for smoking a vape right at a meeting of the National Assembly, despite the current ban on it. A photograph of the prime minister smoking at a meeting of the lower house of parliament was published on Twitter by one of the deputies of the left-wing France Insubordinate (LFI) party. Bourne has previously been seen smoking in public institutions. In 2021, then-Secretary of Labor, she was captured by a Republican MP smoking while a politician asked her a question.
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According to French law, smoking in public places is prohibited and punishable by a fine of up to 150 euros. The only exceptions are establishments open to the general public, but the National Assembly is closed to visitors and, thus, Bourne does not have the right to smoke there, the media specified.
