Vaping News
Updated Vaping Regulations Around The World
Table of Contents
It’s been a little while since I’ve updated you with the news or updated regulations of Vaping across the world, and that’s what I’m going to do in this blog!
Some interesting points to go over in this blog, with France announcing the ban of sale for Disposable Vapes, New Zealand has finally updated it’s new legislations on the sale of Vaping products (don’t panic, it’s not as bad as some thought it would be) and also I’m going to take a look at the staggering statistics that have shown just how much impact the sale of Disposable Vapes has had on the Chinese Economy thanks to the export of them. Let’s get into it!
France To Ban Disposable Vapes
We will start off in Europe for this first news story and it’s one that has certainly caused a ripple through the French Vaping community, and it was a little but unexpected but also to be expected if that makes sense, and that is Disposable Vapes are set to be BANNED from sale in France.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the road map for the national “anti-smoking” plan to combat smoking rates and reduce them, as smoking is killing at least 75,000 people a year in the country of France. And the big thing involved in this plan is the imminent ban on the sale of Disposable Vapes in the country of France.
Speaking on RTL Radio, a leading French radio station, PM Elisabeth Borne said;
“Disposable Vapes are giving bad habits to young people.
It’s a reflex and a gesture that young people get used to. That’s how they get into smoking,”
This quote gives a fairly clear indication of the reason why Disposable Vapes are being banned, which is of course to protect the younger generation in the country of France much like all other countries that have already moved to ban or looking at banning Disposable Vapes, but she is also clearly under the bravado that Vaping is a gateway to smoking, which just doesn’t sit right with me.
Countless studies have shown that Vaping isn’t a gateway to smoking, and I’ve actually written a separate article on it which explains it in more detail. Looking over at America, and this was a huge cause for concern for them with the youth vaping epidemic they endured, and it was believed that Vaping is a gateway to smoking, but when looking at the figures of Vaping vs Smoking, the amount of teens Vaping dropped down, and unsurprisingly the smoking rates DID NOT increase, which they obviously would if people were quitting vaping to go onto cigarettes.
If you’ve read any of my previous articles about Disposable Vapes, you’ll know I’m not a fan, and they definitely need to have some regulations and restrictions imposed on them, but for the right reasons, not because they act as a “gateway to smoking”
New Zealand Finally Settle On Their New Smokefree Amendment Act
The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Act 2020 commenced on 11 November 2020 in the country of New Zealand, and this has been a long on going process to get to where it is today, but as of last week, the news broke that finally a clear plan and path had been decided with new rules and regulations for the vaping market set to gradually come into action over the coming six months. They of course banned the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after January 1st 2009 to speed up their “smoke free country” status they want to achieve by 2025.
New Zealand have been relatively fair when it comes to regulations and what was being proposed, and a lot of praise had been given to them from other countries as they are going about things the right way, unlike their neighbours Australia who haven’t quite got it right and caused no end of chaos within the country for vapers and the vaping industry alike.
New Zealand are pretty much on par with everyone else when it comes to introducing these regulations and that is to make it considerably less appealing for younger audiences, and they show this quite clearly, while also not causing too much of a hinderance to vapers who are over the legal age limit which is the ideal scenario really.
As you’d probably expect, a regulation on Disposable Vapes is the stand out point in this new bill of regulations, and it’s a massive one which will heavily curb the sale and production of Disposable Vapes in the country of New Zealand.
As of December 2023, retailers in New Zealand will only be allowed to sell single use Vaping Products (aka Disposable Vapes) that meet the Product Safety Requirements which is 20mg Nicotine or less, which is a decrease down from 50mg previously permitted, labelling requirements, child safety mechanism and they MUST contain a removable battery.
As I just mentioned, this is likely going to heavily curb the sale of Disposable Vapes to what it is today, as if you didn’t know, Disposable Vapes marketed today contain a lithium-ion that is wired into and practically unattachable without a certain level of risk involved. I personally do not see that any current Disposable Vape brands will be changing things just to supply to the New Zealand market (I might be wrong, who knows!) so this could effectively eradicate the use and sale of Disposables in the country which is quite obviously their priority goal with all these regulations.
They also ensured that no E-Cigarette shops can be opened within a 300 metre radius of schools or meeting areas where younger people may gather, and also all vaping products MUST be sold in plain packaging with no cartoon like images displayed on which may entice children.
Disposables Account for 74% Of China’s Total Vape Exports To The USA in 2023 First Half
Finishing up this news based blog with arguably the most staggering news story to come out surrounding vaping recently, and that’s the headline above that 74% of China’s vaping exports to the USA were Disposable Vapes in the first half of this year! (January to June)
We’re under no illusion that Disposable Vape exporting is big business, but to take up that amount of the total exporting numbers is absolutely insane, and to put some monetary value into it to make it even more staggering, this is worth $1.1 BILLION DOLLARS.
The USA is facing consistent and ever growing problems relating to Disposable Vapes, with them coming in thick and fast from China and unfortunately they’re now being disguised as “school supplies” such as USB sticks, highlighters and other things, which means it’s now got to the absolute point of ridiculousness that something desperately needs to be done, but what can or will be done remains to be seen or suggested.
