Luxembourg will not be imposing a national ban on disposable vapes, the government has said.
The Health Ministry acknowledged the need to reduce harm to the environment and prevent young people taking up vaping, but said it believes “a ban targeting disposable vapes [in Luxembourg] alone would be limited in its effectiveness.”
Instead, it is calling for a “global approach” that includes regulations on all types of vapes as a “more coherent” way to address these issues.
Earlier this month, Belgium became the first European Union country to ban disposable vapes and a similar proposal is being considered in France. The UK will ban single-use devices from June 1.
‘Observation and analysis’
But Luxembourg said it does not believe legislation on a national level will be effective and it prefers to take a ‘watch and see’ approach.
“We are adopting an approach based on observation and analysis of measures taken abroad,” the Health Ministry said. “This enables us to assess the impact of these initiatives and to determine what further action, if any, could be envisaged in Luxembourg.”
Rather than targeting disposable vapes, Luxembourg has proposed a Bill that would ban certain flavours and limit nicotine content.
The government said it agrees with the intention behind the disposable vape bans – to reduce youth vaping and protect the environment – but believes the method will not have the intended outcomes.
“From a health point of view, these products contain high doses of nicotine, encouraging rapid dependence, particularly among young people, and potentially leading them to other forms of tobacco consumption,” it said.
The “negative effects on brain development,” it added, specifically affect teenagers by impairing their memory and concentration, which can “interfere with their learning”.
As well as concerns over youth vaping, the ministry said disposable vapes are harmful to the environment. “As single-use devices, they produce large quantities of electronic waste that is difficult to recycle,” it added. “Batteries contain heavy metals and lithium, which are often disposed of in unsuitable bins or on the public highway, adding to pollution.”
Flavour ban and nicotine limit
A worldwide ban on disposable vapes, as suggested by Luxembourg, is unlikely to happen as it would involve international cooperation.
In December the European Commission’s proposal to ban vaping across the bloc was agreed – but only after multiple member states added caveats that they would not actually implement it.
Bans on disposable vapes in other countries have attracted widespread criticism.
In the UK, a Conservative MP has argued the upcoming legislation will lead children back to “smoking behind the bike sheds.”
Sir Christopher Chope pointed to the government’s own impact assessment report, which found that as many as 29 per cent of current vapers could be driven back into smoking as a result of the ban.
Leading experts in harm reduction say the move will also make it harder for smokers to transition to far less harmful vapes and hand the market over to illegal traders.
Mark Oates, founder of campaign group We Vape, said:
“This decision is going to cost lives because disposable vapes are hugely popular with adults looking to make the switch from smoking.”
