The French Parliament Has Passed A One-off E-cigarette Ban: Offenders Can Be Fined Up To 200,000 Euros

The French parliament has passed a one-off e-cigarette ban: offenders can be fined up to 200,000 euros

The French parliament has unanimously approved a plan to ban the sale of single-use e-cigarettes, but the bill has yet to be considered by the Senate.
According to French media reports on February 4, the French National Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday, the 4th, which plans to completely ban disposable electronic cigarettes. The bill now goes to the Senate.

The bill, co-sponsored by multi-party lawmakers Michel Lauzzana and Francesca Pasquini, seeks to ban the sale, distribution and free availability of these products. Violators will face fines of 100,000 euros, or up to 200,000 euros in severe cases.

Although the National Assembly passed the bill by a unanimous vote, its legal process is not yet complete, and it still needs to be considered by the Senate for final consideration.

In September 2024, the European Commission approved the adoption of the proposed law as "reasonable, necessary and proportionate to the objective of protecting public health", with the Commission concluding that:

"Single-use e-cigarette use also has the potential to be a gateway for young people and non-smokers to be exposed to traditional tobacco consumption."

According to a survey conducted by the French National Commission against Smoking (CNCT) in March 2022, 64% of French tobacconers still sell tobacco products to minors.