In an effort to reduce the number of smokers and help the environment, Belgium has become the first country to ban the sale of disposable vapes, according to the Guardian.
Many Americans associate Europe with smoking. Even after it was discouraged in the U.S., it was much more common in Europe. About a third more people smoke in Europe than in America, according to NPR.
However, smoking, including vaping, isn't safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says vapes with aerosol are dangerous regardless of what the person is smoking. If there's nicotine in the vape, there are all sorts of other dangers, including addiction, poor brain development, and problems with attention.
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Heck yes! 💯 Clearly, in Belgium's efforts to make vaping "discouraged and denormalized," the government is doing its people a favor. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke reiterated this when he explained, "Disposable e-cigarettes is a new product simply designed to attract new consumers. E-cigarettes often contain nicotine. Nicotine makes you addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is bad for your health."
Smoking is already going down in Belgium. In 1997, 25.5% of residents aged 15 and older smoked. Now, the number is at 15.3%, and the government would like to get it even lower.
Belgium isn't just helping its people, though. It is also helping the environment. As Greenpeace explains, plastic disposable vapes are creating a huge amount of trash that is near impossible to recycle, so they are building up in landfills and potentially leaching their toxic ingredients into the soil to do even more damage.
While the rest of Europe hasn't followed Belgium's lead yet, there are signs other countries want their people to quit smoking, too. Milan has outlawed smoking in outdoor public places, per the Guardian, and France has also done something similar. The hope is that other countries will follow, to protect both citizens and the land they live on.
If you care about avoiding additional toxins, try choosing clean cosmetics, too. If smoking is an issue you care about, try lobbying for your country to follow New Zealand's lead and outlaw smoking altogether.
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