Belgium will in January become the first European Union country to ban sales of disposable vapes because of concerns about their use among children and the environmental damage they can cause.

The move is part of an anti-tobacco drive in the western European country, where government data shows most young smokers start the habit with electronic cigarettes (vapes), rather than regular tobacco cigarettes.

“Disposable e-cigarettes are designed to attract young people, to appeal to new users who maybe never smoked,” Belgian health minister Frank Vandenbroucke told Reuters.

“E-cigarettes are partly attracting a new generation of smokers,” he said.

Supporters say vapes can help people to give up smoking regular cigarettes, but health authorities are concerned that their colourful designs and fruity flavours attract children.

It is illegal in Belgium to sell vapes to anyone under the age of 18.

Belgian teenager Luque de Smet, 17, told Reuters he favoured disposable vapes over refillable ones.

“You can experience more flavours that way. They also come in different colours. The ones you have to refill are always so boring, in grey or black. And those colours attract us, all those special flavours,” he said.

In a 2022 World Health Organization survey of 20,000 Belgian 11 to 18 year olds, 12% said they had used a vape in the last 30 days – more than double the amount in 2018.

Germany and France are working on laws to ban single-use vapes. Britain, no longer an EU member, will ban their sale in June.

Belgium hopes its ban will also reduce the environmental impact of discarded single-use vapes that contain plastics, chemicals and a non-rechargeable battery.

Steven Pomeranc, who owns an e-cigarette shop in Brussels, said he supported the ban and that most customers did not recycle their batteries.

“I think it’s a good thing for customers to use reusable models,” he said.

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