Belgium first in EU to ban sale of disposable vapes

Belgium becomes the first European Union country to ban the sale of disposable vapes. The new regulations took effect on January 1, 2025, The Guardian reports.

Belgium decided to ban the sale of disposable vapes for public health and environmental reasons.

A ban on outdoor smoking also came into effect in Milan on the same day, as EU countries discuss stricter tobacco control measures.

Last year, Belgium’s Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke announced the ban, calling e-cigarettes “extremely harmful” to society and the environment.

“Disposable e-cigarettes is a new product simply designed to attract new consumers. E-cigarettes often contain nicotine. Nicotine makes you addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is bad for your health,” he stated.

The minister also highlighted the “hazardous chemical waste” present in cheap, widely available disposable vapes.

Belgium aims to reduce the number of new smokers to zero, or nearly zero, by 2040 and is implementing additional measures to “discourage and denormalise” smoking.

For context, New Zealand and Sweden have recently achieved unprecedented reductions in smoking rates by encouraging smokers to switch to lower-risk alternatives such as vaping and snus. These countries are now on the verge of becoming smoke-free.