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Belgium will ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes
- Reason077 2y agoThe UK's ban on disposable vapes will come into effect in June 2025.
- mPReDiToR 2y agoThis isn't a bad thing. Financially it's ruinous to buy disposables when you can pick up a simple cigar sized vape with rechargeable battery and replaceable coil/pod for the same price, then refill it over and over again. The amount of lithium ending up on the road and in bins is silly. The tax on vaping is putting the price of everything up, so now is the time to buy an Xross Pro or something that lasts all day. For adults (who don't need to conceal their habit) it makes a lot of sense to buy coils/pods in quantity and keep a spare in the car/handbag. Also ... Can we stop vilifying this life-saving habit? Smoking kills, we all know it. Vaping is MUCH safer and yes, just as addictive. Nicotine isn't the killer ingredient in smoking, so encourage people to vape, don't demonize them for it.
- pixelpoet 2y agoOne thing that makes my blood boil, and I've seen it in many countries I've lived in, is that people who vape tend to see it as being fine to vape e.g. on trains. Here in Germany people are vaping in the trains nonstop, and while it's not as bad as people dropping cigarette butts on the street (usually literally directly next to a bin!), it still makes it difficult to respect the group, given how shockingly common it is.
- doublerabbit 2y ago> while it's not as bad as people dropping cigarette butts on the street (usually literally directly next to a bin!) People are spitting on the streets here in the UK and it's disgusting. But I've noticed it on transport here in the UK. They take a puff "cheeky-vape" then exhale it under in to their coat or in to some bag.
- Kinrany 2y agoCould there be a device that would filter the exhaled air? Make it a part of the e-cigarette, so that one can exhale back into the same thing or into a different port on it.
- cactusplant7374 2y agoThere is a filter type device for use indoors but it is standalone.
- bravura 2y agoHonest question, asking for informed responses: How harmful is second-hand vape? Littered cigarette butts don't biodegrade. Second-hand smoke causes cancer and the smell lingers on material. Does other people vaping near you in an enclosed space have a meaningful physiological effect or otherwise? Or is it just association with second-hand smoke that people decry?
- vladvasiliu 2y agoAnecdotally, it seems to depend on the liquid. Some are very thick and give me an impression like I can’t breathe. Others aren’t so bad, but have an extremely vile smell. I’d say I’m not particularly prejudiced against vaping in general, I actually do vape from time to time.
- consp 2y agoThe vapor droplets contain the nicotine and other dissolved particulates so yes. And there are numerous studies showing heavy metal dissolution into them. I avoid them like the plague.
- droidist2 2y ago> Does other people vaping near you in an enclosed space have a meaningful physiological effect or otherwise? Yeah it makes his "blood boil"
- PeterStuer 2y agoHonestly for most people their dislike of people smoking/vaping in shared areas is first about the smell, and only second about the health risk.
- lm28469 2y agoEven if it's 100% safe, which it isn't as are every other particulates you inhale, I don't like it, I don't want it. I don't walk around farting in elevators and burping in my fellow train commuters' faces even through it's perfectly safe, it's just basic common sense and politeness.
- Perenti 2y agoVaping is safer, but calling it a "life-saving habit" is a stretch. Your logic is the same as "picking up a rattlesnake is OK because it's not as deadly as a taipan".
- jabwd 2y agoCalling vaping safer without there being any good evidence for that is quite a stretch. However I despise this pure resource waste. Can we just stop that instead while we investigate the effects of inhaling burning copper and plastic?
- ImPostingOnHN 2y agoWe would need sufficient evidence to conclude it's as dangerous as smoking, which I'm not sure we have. Also, we would need sufficient evidence to conclude that they all have the user inhale burning copper or plastic, which I'm not sure we have.
- jabwd 2y agoNo, because that takes time, but that is my entire point. Claiming it is not as dangerous without actually knowing that is just, weird :/
- ImPostingOnHN 2y agoIt makes intuitive sense: all other things being equal, inhaling combustion products is worse than not inhaling combustion products. Thus, nicotine with combustion products is worse than nicotine without combustion products. We would need sufficient evidence to veer away from this data.
- HyprMusic 2y agoThere's plenty of evidence, like most, you've just not bothered to search for it before forming your opinion. If you're genuinely interested, I recommend starting with this report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/e-cigarettes-an-evidence-update https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/e-cigarettes-an-e...
- jabwd 2y agoThis is honestly getting tiring. Not only is the billeting tone pointless, neither are those reports conclusive or evidence on their own. I formed my opinion over the years of the diseases that are being caused by a lot of people using these devices. Now these could be by overuse, other issues, bad mixtures, shoddy made devices, idk the list can continue. Maybe vaping is overpowered if controlled correctly. Could be. Just don't state it as a fact, when, in fact, it is not known.
- spacebanana7 2y ago> Also ... Can we stop vilifying this life-saving habit? As a former smoker I’ve recently started vaping because I love nicotine and I think the risk / reward is worth it. Vaping has been around at this point for over a decade, yet the evidence of harm is minimal. Some inflammatory responses, oxidative stress and potentially pre cancerous changes in gene expression. But that’s pretty much it (for UK legal products at least). I wouldn’t call it healthy but consider it more like alcohol or sugar rather than traditional tobacco.
- yndoendo 2y agoNicotine consumption causes the vascular system to constrict and a person's heart to start beating faster to push the blood through. Similar environment to a fetus in a over pressurized antibiotic sack, too much fluid. Doctors monitor for this and may remove fluid to depressurize so the heart and other major organs don't fail. Just like alcohol, nicotine does not have any health benefits. People often over simplify complex systems. It is not just one, smoke, but multiple factors that cause health issues. Chewing tobacco proves toxicity is not just from carcinogens and tar build up in the lungs. Vaping may decrease the probability of dramatic health issues it does not drop it to 0.
- kjkjadksj 2y agoIt's actually not the nicotine that gives you cancer in chewing tobacco. And given all this harm with cigarettes isn't it sensible that we legalize a less harmful method that people have used quite successfully to wean off cigarettes when other efforts have failed them? Social smokers/vapers are always going to exist, the buzz goes together too well with booze, but there are people who do use this stuff to actually see substantially better health outcomes.
- ChocolateGod 2y agoI think a lot of people outside Europe will see this as overreach by the state, but given waste cleanup is paid for by the tax payer and is an ever increasing cost/problem, banning products needlessly adding to rubbish when inexpensive reusable alternatives makes sense.
- mangamadaiyan 2y agoI think you mean "a lot of people in the USA" :) In most of the other parts of the world, people would either see the wisdom of this approach because they understand good government, or not bat an eyelid because they're used to bad government (and consequently overreach).
- hooloovoo_zoo 2y agoWell the EU smokes more than the US so it's also just a bigger problem there.
- aziaziazi 2y agoNot so much, for e cigarettes : % of users between 01/23 and 03/23, top countries: Indonesia 32 Switzerland 30 Italia 25 UK 24 USA 23 [french] https://fr.statista.com/infographie/19421/part-des-fumeurs-qui-utilisent-la-cigarette-electronique/ https://fr.statista.com/infographie/19421/part-des-fumeurs-q... Also can’t find the source but I read they more prevalent for richer, more educated, urban people.
- hedora 2y agoUS wide averages for smoking are pretty useless. It varies a lot from region to region. It’s like taking the average of Europe, the continent. Anyway, as someone from the states, I think banning disposable electronics is a great idea in general. E-cigs seem like a great place to start.
- wkat4242 2y ago
- pjdkoch 2y agoFinally! No more one use batteries, please!
- duskwuff 2y agoWhat I find most maddening about it is that the batteries are technically rechargeable! The vapes just aren't configured to support it. (And the presence of nicotine "juice" in the vape - especially if it's been damaged, e.g. by being run over in a gutter - makes them difficult to recycle safely.)
- tirant 2y agoWhat about typical AA and AAA batteries? They’ve been everywhere for decades. Are they really more sustainable that these one-time -used lithium ones?
- BurningFrog 2y agoI've only used rechargeable AA/AAA batteries for a decade. Not having to buy new ones is very convenient.
- pveierland 2y agoMy favorite are the ones with built-in USB-C charging - they are so handy to have around! Posting here to help more people discover them: https://www.amazon.com/MXBatt-Rechargeable-Battery-Capacity-Batteries/dp/B0CC4SWGNL https://www.amazon.com/MXBatt-Rechargeable-Battery-Capacity-...
- amluto 2y agoI’m nervous that they’ll have poor or defective BMSes and catch fire.
- pveierland 2y agoYeah, this worries me a bit! Never seen any issues, and I'm only using them in low-impact environments (keyboards + mice), and only charging while present.
- Perenti 2y agoHere in Oz the banning of disposable nicotine vapes has led to an increase in organised crime activity. Schoolkids are getting the vapes without any problems. Great idea, but poorly implemented. I'll be interested to see Belgium avoids the issues we're having here in Australia.
- Namidairo 2y agoFor those not aware, they are most likely referring to an ongoing "tobacco war" among organised crime groups in Australia, with tobacconists becoming the targets of many arson attacks. Obviously the illicit tobacco trade is a large/primary driver of this, but illicit vapes are also becoming a part of their business.
- exhilaration 2y agowith tobacconists becoming the targets of many arson attacks Are you saying that legitimate tobacco stores are being burned down by illicit tobacco traffickers? To eliminate competition?
- hugh-avherald 2y agoMore they are trying to intimidate rival gangs, or extort protection money.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- jsmeaton 2y agoThey’re being attacked both for refusing to work with gangs or for working with a rival gang.
- inkyoto 2y ago«many arson attacks» is a hyperbole. There have been few isolated incidents of the tobacconist stores having been set ablaze, but it does not equate to, e.g. east coast Australian capital cities, being engulfed in putrid smouldering fires emanating from the said tobacconist shops. Australian government introduced a (rushed) law in July this year that outlawed street sales of vapes and obligated local pharmacies to sell the officially licensed vapes instead, which has caused a uproar and a revolt on behalf of the Pharmacist Guild who bluntly refused to stock and distribute the vapes. The pharmacies that are not the guild members have made decisions at their own discretion. The drama is still unfolding.
- ungreased0675 2y agoIt makes me unreasonably angry when I see disposable vape litter. Such a waste of valuable resources. I’d love to see disposable electronics and disposable lithium batteries strongly discouraged everywhere.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- noman-land 2y agoNot disagreeing with you but vape trash is a great way to collect totally functional rechargeable batteries. Turning Disposable Vapes into a Fast Charge Power Bank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehp23hrrEHY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehp23hrrEHY
- arresin 2y agoHow well manufactured are these batteries though and would you want to rely on them in pack?
- modeless 2y agoYeah this seems like a great way to burn down your house.
- noman-land 2y agoThat's just one example. You can use them also for hobby diy hardware projects like arduino and raspberry pi to convert them into being battery powered iot things.
- cm2012 2y ago[flagged]
- sammyteee 2y agoNanny-state? You must appreciate the e/waste caused by these though, no? And it's not an outright ban of vaping - it just disposable vapes, you can still buy a vape setup (and rightly so)
- gpvos 2y agoThrowaway vapes are complete resource wastes. Society pays for cleaning up the mess, so at the very least they should be taxed, and seeing the amount of pollution they create and therefore the cost of cleanup that should probably be very highly, pricing them out of the market anyway. Also they essentially only exist to make young people addicted (in contrast to non-throwaway vapes).
- franga2000 2y agoMeanwhile our governement has said it's not allowed to do this because it would need to be done at the EU level due to "market harmonisation rules" or some nonsense like that. Looks like they're full of shit, given that Belgium managed to do it...
- jupp0r 2y agoIt would be really helpful to know what government you are referring to.
- consp 2y agoThis is (almost) always an excuse. The almost being if legislation is being prepared. There are so much examples of these kind of differences in neighboring countries, mainly alcohol and firework rules come to mind.
- normie3000 2y agoIs there any money in collecting and recycling disposable vapes?
- whatthedangz 2y ago[dead]
- simgt 2y agoWouldn't it be better to tax all disposable objects in proportion to their impact on the environment or something like that? These single shot bans seem easy to go around.
- kjkjadksj 2y agoThat's not going to get rid of trash, its just going to remove more money from people's wallets as the tax gets passed to them. Might even open up a black market like we see with nyc cigarette taxes. Maybe if the tax went to local street cleanup initiatives or something it might do a sliver of good, but that's just one sort of litter out of the rest.
- hedora 2y agoIt would do a lot to reduce the amount of single use plastic packaging. Sure, the plastic Coke bottle costs 1-2 cents less than the glass one, but the ecological problems it creates are at least an order of magnitude higher than that. If Coke can either increase their prices by $0.01 or $0.10, and the $0.01 option is preferred by consumers, their choice will be clear.
- kjkjadksj 2y agoIt always depends to what scale you chose to measure the harm. Environmental plastic pollution? Sure plastic is way worse. Less broken glass on the sidewalk? Now that plastic is saving your kid and your dog a hospital trip. We are also assuming making the glass bottle is more environmentally friendly than making the plastic one.
- NullPrefix 2y agoThrowing plastic bottles on the sidewalk is plain littering. Throwing glass bottles is not just littering. Someone throwing glass bottles around definitely knows what he's doing and should be dealt with accordingly
- PeterStuer 2y ago
- hsuduebc2 2y agoIt is not a "new product" it is at least five years old product and it contained nicotine from the beginning. This ridiculous timing always makes me wonder if it is result of lobby or sheer ignorance slash incompetence.
- ApolloFortyNine 2y agoThere was a time coke would give you a small amount to return the glass. I don't really see the problem enforcing the same with disposable capes at the least. As others have commented they're almost reusable as it is.
- kjkjadksj 2y agoGlass is highly recyclable. Some old plastic juul pod with burnt residue all over the atomizer I'd guess not.
- PeterStuer 2y agoGlass bottle fees in Belgium are 0.1€. You pay it at purchase and get it back when you return the bottle.
- cvdub 2y agoI buy disposable vapes because I convince myself it’s my last one. Once it runs out I’ll quit. Buying a rig is accepting defeat. Except this vape ran out faster than I expected. I have a big week at work coming up and I can’t afford the dip in energy level and productivity that comes with withdrawal. I’ll buy one more just this once and then I’ll quit for sure. Amazing the hoops my mind jumps through for an addictive molecule.
- 28304283409234 2y agoSounds like it could be time to get some professional help.
- ivann 2y agoIt might be better to accept what is right now and buy a rig but then play with the nicotine level to reduce it step by step. Once you reach 0 you won.
- anal_reactor 2y ago>be me >do drugs because they're fun >be you >do drugs because they make you more pRoDuCtIvE We're not the same.
- lozenge 2y agoYou know they contain rechargeable batteries but are just missing the charging port and a few tiny chips?
- hnuser123456 2y agoSome of them are rechargeable, but you'll only cycle the battery 2-3 times before the juice is gone.
- hampowder 2y agoI went from disposables to a refillable one as part of my cutting down. Being able to mix my own liquid meant I could slowly reduce my nicotine levels, whilst maintaining the habit of smoking, making it easier to finally come off it at the end. Good luck!
- wkat4242 2y agoOnly thing that surprises me is that it took so long. I don't mind people vaping at all but there's no point in destroying the environment at the same time.
- ph1lw 2y agoShouldn't we ban the word "disposable"? "being able to get rid of by throwing away or giving or selling to someone else." Most items labled as disposable don't just disappear. They disappear out of our mind but not from the planet. The word gives the impression of false simplicity: The word makes complex waste management issues seem simple, absolving consumers of responsibility.