Single-use electronic cigarettes will be banned in Belgium from January 1, 2025. The country thus becomes the first in Europe to impose such a rule.
In Romania, electronic cigarettes are not sold to minors. Archive
Moreover, Belgium has also adopted a number of bans on smoking in public spaces, such as sports fields, zoos, playgrounds, as well as near schools and hospitals. The measures come as health ministers from the 27 countries of the European Union prepare to approve new rules that will ban both smoking and vaping in open spaces. The initiative is part of the plan to reduce the number of smokers from the current 25% to less than 5% by 2040.
Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s health minister, said the ban on single-use e-cigarettes was taken for both health and environmental reasons. He calls on the European Commission to follow suit, with new initiatives to update and modernize tobacco legislation. Under the new rules in Belgium, reusable e-cigarettes are not banned. The reason? These can be useful for people trying to quit smoking, Vandenbroucke said.
However, Belgium is not the only country that imposes measures against smoking. Australia has also restricted the sale of single-use e-cigarettes at pharmacies, and the UK will ban them from June 2025. Furthermore, UK MPs recently passed a law banning people born after 2009 from legally buying cigarettes .
Pulmonologist: “Prevention is better than prohibition.” It would work better”
Measures were also taken in Romania. Shy, but they got along. Thus, at the end of February 2024, the Chamber of Deputies adopted a draft law that prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes to children under 18 years of age. Furthermore, products containing tobacco, electronic cigarettes, refill bottles for electronic cigarettes can no longer be sold through vending machines. It is also prohibited to sell through devices such as easybox. The project provides for sanctions of up to 100,000 lei, depending on the gravity of the act.
However, from here to completely banning vaping or restricting sales depending on the age of the adult buyer, there is a very long way to go, and in the current context in Romania, such regulations would have no chance of being implemented, believes Dr. Adriana Sorete Arbore, primary pulmonologist at the Iași Pneumology Hospital: “It would be wonderful if it happened, but in our country I don’t think it will be possible to implement such laws anytime soon. I will also tell you why. For example, as in the UK, if he is not old enough to buy himself, the person could ask friends, acquaintances or even family to get him the cigarettes. So there are always loopholes.”
Moreover, the doctor believes that very tough bans like those in Belgium could lead young people to other, perhaps even more serious, addictions” “I’m talking about other vices: if they don’t smoke classic cigarettes, they might want to smoke drugs. One toxic habit can be replaced by another. Young people could feed their addiction by using other, even more dangerous substances.” The doctor admits, however, that an anti-smoking campaign would be much more effective if it were well thought out.
What is EVALI, white lung disease
The long-term negative effects of electronic cigarettes are not yet known, pulmonologist Beatrice Mahler said for “Adevărul”. The reason? The consumption is relative at the beginning. But, says the specialist, the short-term effects are already visible. “Diseases generated by the use of electronic cigarettes are currently defined with the term EVALI which, translated, means lung disease related to the use of electronic cigarettes. The symptoms of the disease can be: shortness of breath, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, chest pain, palpitations, fever, chills. More serious cases have also been described, which required assistance in the intensive care services, and unfortunately, some ended up with intubation or even death”. the doctor explained. “Basically, the lung becomes white, similar to the one we saw in the images during the period COVIDof the It is an acute allergic reaction to an external stimulus, and in severe cases it can even lead to respiratory failure.” said Dr. Mahler.
How many minutes of your life does a cigarette cost you? One pack “steals” seven hours from you
Classic cigarettes, on the other hand, are even more dangerous. Paradoxically, the more toxic they are, the more they are used. Even though, according to experts, a single cigarette reduces our lifespan by 17-22 minutes on average, and a pack “steals” seven hours from us. These are data obtained from studies carried out by scientists from University College London (UCL). Researchers say that the harm caused by smoking is “cumulative” and the sooner an individual stops smoking, the more likely they are to live healthy for more years.
Research, on the other hand, suggests that if a person who smokes 10 cigarettes a day quits smoking on January 1, by January 8, they could prevent the loss of a day of life. Until February 20, life could be extended by a whole week. And if quitting smoking is successful by August 5, they will probably live a month longer than if they had continued to smoke. “Smoking primarily consumes the relatively healthy middle years, rather than shortening the end-of-life period, which is often marked by chronic disease or disability. Thus, a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker,” the specialists said. Dr. Sarah Jackson, Senior Researcher at UCL’s Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said that “it’s never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a number of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit smoking for good. The new year offers a perfect chance for a new resolution and to take that step.”
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills more than eight million people globally every year, of which 1.3 million are non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke.
