Bavaria calls for ban on puffs in Germany and across Europe

Bavaria is calling for a Europe-wide ban on disposable e-cigarettes. The Bavarian executive cabinet adopted an initiative from the Bundesrat in Munich on Tuesday.[1] calling on the federal government to commit at the European Union level to banning the sale of this type of disposable product[2].

Disposable e-cigarettes are enjoying increasing success in Germany. According to the Bavarian government, total sales in Germany are estimated at around 575 million euros for 2022. This is around 40 percent more than the previous year. This increase is said to be due in particular to disposable products.

A major ecological risk surrounding disposable devices

According to the State Chancellery, the states have so far lacked a legal basis to restrict the sale of disposable e-cigarettes. The European Single-Use Plastics Directive and the Federal Ordinance on the Ban on Single-Use Plastics only cover certain single-use plastic products, such as cotton buds, cutlery, plates or straws, but do cover filters for tobacco products.

The current initiative of the Bavarian Federal Council aims to ask the federal government to ban disposable e-cigarettes of the puff type in Germany and also to extend the ban to the European level.

After complete use, disposable e-cigarettes or puffs are considered electronic waste and must in principle be disposed of properly at designated collection points or at the relevant retailer. However, considerable quantities of disposable e-cigarettes are thrown away with other waste. On the one hand, this leads to a loss of raw materials and on the other hand, a fire risk due to the batteries they contain. In addition, they are toxic waste and therefore particularly problematic for the environment.

Increase in tobacco and vaping consumption among young Germans

According to a survey on smoking behaviour (DEBRA)[3] carried out in 2022 in Germany, the proportion of smokers/vapers in the band of 14-17 year olds doubled compared to the previous year, reaching 15.9% compared to 8.7% in 2021. In all age categories, the proportion of smokers/vapers reached a record high in 2022 since this prevalence survey was implemented in 2016. Among 18-24 year olds, the proportion increased from 35.6 percent (2021) to 40.8 percent (2022). In the over-25 age group, it increased from 30.8 percent (2021) to 35.6 percent (2022).[4].

More than one in three adolescents and young adults (34%) who vape do so with a disposable product in 2022.

Germany ranks last in the European ranking of tobacco control policies covering 36 countries on the continent: no other European country is doing less to reduce tobacco consumption and implement the proven measures of the WHO Framework Convention.[5]-[6].

Keywords: Germany, Bavaria, puffs, ban, adolescents, vaping, disposable e-cigarette, European directive, environment, plastic

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[1] The legislative assembly representing the 16 German states.

[2] Bayern fordert europaweites Verbot für Einweg-E-Zigaretten, Süddeutsche Zeitung, published January 10, 2023, accessed January 19, 2023

[3] The DEBRA study (Deutsche Befragung zum Rauchverhalten) is a bimonthly, representative, face-to-face survey on the consumption of tobacco and other nicotine products (e-cigarettes and heated tobacco) among the German population aged 14 and over.

[4] Bayern fordert europaweites Verbot für Einweg-E-Zigaretten, ZM Online, published January 10, 2023, accessed January 19, 2023

[5] Generation without tobacco, Germany: Smoking rate jumps by more than nine points in two years, published on August 30, 2022, consulted on January 19, 2023

[6] Generation without tobacco, UN Committee Calls on Germany to Better Protect Children from Tobacco, published October 20, 2022, accessed January 19, 2023

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