Austria is set to ban the sale of disposable vapes, citing concerns about youth vaping and environmental risks.
State Secretary for Health Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig told the Austrian newspaper Der Standard that disposable vapes “contain harmful substances and often serve as a gateway to smoking for very young people.”
She added: “They also pose a risk to the environment, as the lithium batteries they contain can easily catch fire during disposal.”
The Austrian Waste Management Association (VOEB) welcomed the ban, with VOEB president Gabriele Jüly calling it “an important step in the right direction.”
She highlighted a rise in battery-related fires at Austrian waste facilities, which she said have increased more than fivefold over the past decade, causing serious safety risks, operational disruptions, and financial losses.
Concerns for adult smokers
However, critics warn the ban will negatively impact smokers who turn to disposable vapes as a less harmful alternative to smoking. There is also a risk that banning these products may push users toward unregulated sources, potentially undermining harm reduction efforts and complicating youth prevention.
Austria’s proposed ban follows similar measures in Belgium, France, the UK, and Switzerland. Yet evidence from these countries suggests that banning disposable vapes does not always deliver the intended benefits.
For example, the UK’s ban on disposables, introduced in June 2025, has seen an unintended rise in black-market sales, making it harder to regulate product safety and control youth access.
A poll last month found nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of Brits do not think the ban will reduce youth access to vaping products, while 45 per cent believe it will fail to lessen environmental damage.
Public health experts have warned that such restrictions can drive adult vapers to seek unregulated and potentially unsafe alternatives, undermining efforts to reduce smoking-related harm.
Germany has taken a different approach by introducing draft legislation to create a device take-back system at retail outlets. It has also implemented restrictions on nicotine content and the size of e-liquid reservoirs. However, it is reported to be considering a ban on some flavoured vapes.
HTP flavourings ban
Last month, Austria amended the Tobacco and Non-Smoker Protection Act to ban the addition of flavourings to heated tobacco products. Vapes, which use e-liquids without tobacco leaves, were explicitly excluded from the flavour ban, reflecting regulatory distinctions between them and heated tobacco.
State Secretary Königsberger-Ludwig indicated that further measures to protect non-smokers would be introduced later in the year.
