The French parliament has voted to ban disposable e-cigarettes, which are considered a gateway to tobacco addiction for teenagers and are harmful to the environment.

The bill was approved by the French parliament with a final vote in the Senate. France became the second EU country after Belgium to introduce such a ban.

Disposable electronic cigarettes, known as vapes, are popular among young people. They can have a high nicotine content, come in many flavours including apple, watermelon and cola, and are cheap, AFP reports.

"This is a major victory in the two-pronged battle we have been fighting: an environmental battle against the polluting lithium batteries in these vapes and a health battle for our students," said lawmaker Francesca Pasquini, the bill's sponsor.

"Wonderful cross-party work!" wrote MP Michel Lotzana in X.

Addressing President Emmanuel Macron, Lotzana added: "We now await the promulgation of this law and its implementation throughout the country."

The law was earlier approved by the lower house of the National Assembly.

The measure is part of a wider government campaign to combat smoking.

Health authorities in France and Belgium argue that chronic nicotine consumption is particularly harmful to the adolescent brain and can encourage the use of other drugs.

In December 2024, Belgium approved legislation making it the first EU country to ban vapes.

The EU aims to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2040, reducing the number of smokers in the 27-nation bloc from about 25% now to less than 5%. | BGNES