The first EU country has banned the sale of vapes.

Belgium will ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes from January 1, 2025, due to health and environmental safety concerns. Belgium's Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke claims that vapes have become a popular means for teenagers to start smoking. They pollute the environment with plastic, batteries, and circuitry, as well as create hazardous chemicals.

The Belgian Ministry of Health has focused on banning disposable vapes, while leaving reusable ones available as a way to quit the harmful habit. The Minister also plans to update tobacco legislation in the European Union.

'After the cigarette is empty, the battery still remains active. Vapes create terrible pollution.'

said Steven Pomerantz, owner of the Vapotheque shop in Brussels.

It is worth noting that the sale of tobacco heating devices IQOS by companies Altria and Philip Morris has also been banned in the USA, and there is an ongoing lawsuit between companies related to the use of patented tobacco heating technology.

Vaping negatively affects cognitive functions of students

Scientific research has confirmed that vaping negatively impacts students' cognitive functions, reducing their performance in learning tests, memory, problem-solving, and critical thinking. The study was presented at the meeting of the American Neurological Association.

Ukraine has also imposed restrictions on the sale of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes with flavors and has mandated extended health warnings on tobacco product packaging since July 2021.