Puff ban: manufacturers have anticipated and are already circumventing the measure

Two years after the bill was tabled, the French Parliament voted in favor of banning disposable electronic cigarettes (puffs). After Belgium, France became the second European country to vote to ban this device. The decision, which is part of an environmental and health objective, was welcomed by public health stakeholders, whether it be the National Committee against Smoking or the Alliance against Tobacco. However, the provision was anticipated by manufacturers, who were able to take advantage of the legislative time to develop their products.

The principle of prohibition approved by the European Commission

In March 2024, Parliament had already voted in favour of a ban on disposable e-cigarettes. The European Commission was then contacted by Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Health, before give the green light to a ban on puffs, considered "justified, necessary and proportionate" in light of health issues. However, following the notification from the European Commission, only disposable e-cigarettes that cannot be refilled with liquid can be banned. As a result, puffs that can be filled with liquid but cannot be recharged with batteries are excluded from the scope of the ban. MP Michel Lauzzana, co-rapporteur of the bill, had indicated that he wanted to take the European notification into account, so as not to "waste time", and hoped for a ban as early as February 2025.

Not all devices are covered by the ban

In January 2024, the Joint Committee unanimously voted to bring the bill into line with European requirements. Now voted on by the French Parliament, the new text includes two main changes compared to the 2024 version: the first removes the ban on the manufacture of disposable e-cigarettes, while the second removes the ban on non-rechargeable devices that can be filled with liquid. As no regulatory text is expected and the six-month deadline has been removed by parliamentarians, the ban could be effective the day after the text is published in the Official Journal.[1].

New products are already outside the scope of the ban

Two years of legislative debates have allowed manufacturers to anticipate the measure and develop new product ranges. Indeed, for several months, electronic cigarettes that can be refilled with liquid a limited number of times have appeared on the market. Thus, although the battery of these products can be recharged up to 300 times, their limited capacity to be refilled with liquid makes them disposable devices, but not affected by the ban. The National Committee against Smoking indicates in its barometer that these new products are heavily promoted, particularly in the tobacconist network.[2].

FT

[1] Health Context, Removal of six-month period for banning 'puffs', 01/24/2025, (accessed 02/14/2025)

[2] National Committee against Smoking, Barometer of advertising of new tobacco and nicotine products at points of sale, (accessed 02/14/2025)

National Committee Against Smoking |