At a vote on June 12, the National Council approved a motion to ban single-use and disposable e-cigarettes in Switzerland. Supporters have cited youth protection and health and environmental factors as the main reasons behind the possible ban.
By 122 votes to 63, lawmakers in the Swiss National Council approved a proposal by councillor Christophe Cilvaz (Greens), calling for a ban on single-use disposable e-cigarettes. The proposal will now be sent to the Council of States for approval.
Speaking to reporters, Cilvaz argued that disposable e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular with young people. A study carried out by Unisanté in Lausanne recently revealed that 59 percent of 14 to 25-year-olds in Switzerland have already tried an e-cigarette, with 12 percent reporting that they use them regularly. “Addiction professionals and teachers are extremely concerned about these 'nicotine bombs' which have a very high dependence potential,” Cilvaz explained.
He added that the country faces an ever-growing unregulated market: 10 million disposable e-cigarettes were imported to Switzerland in 2022, “A figure which increases by 30 percent per year”. Cilvaz went on to argue that because of the unregulated nature of disposable e-cigarettes, “We find ourselves in the absurd situation where the impact of yoghurt on health is better controlled than that of the e-cigarettes consumed by our adolescents.”
He concluded that there are also environmental costs to disposable e-cigarettes, noting that they use a "non-rechargeable battery, they contain precious metals, notably lithium, cobalt or copper. Once finished, most end up in the bin or in nature, even though they should be recycled.”
Calls to limit the spread of disposable e-cigarettes are not a new phenomenon - France, Belgium, Germany, the UK and Ireland have all moved to ban them from stores and supermarkets. However, while a ban may have parliamentary support, the Swiss Federal Council wrote that a blanket ban on the product would be “premature” and called on the Council of States to reject the plan.
Speaking to 20 Minuten, Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP) said that the government is already planning to tighten e-cigarette rules as part of reforms to Switzerland’s tobacco laws. She added that they would also have to check whether the ban would breach any international agreements the country has with other countries before it is made into law.
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