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Belgium has become the first EU country to ban the sale of disposable vapes (www.techspot.com)

submitted 2 days ago by ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net to c/upliftingnews@lemmy.world

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

European nations are becoming increasingly serious about cracking down on smoking and vaping, especially among young people. Belgium has become the first country in the European Union to outright ban the sale of disposable vapes starting this month. At the same time, Italy's Milan also ushered in the new year by implementing a ban on outdoor smoking in public spaces.

As reported by The Guardian, Belgian health minister Frank Vandenbroucke didn't mince words when announcing the prohibition last year, calling disposable e-cigarettes an "extremely harmful" product designed to hook a new generation on nicotine. He cited the waste from the non-reusable vapes as being packed with "hazardous chemicals" that damage the environment.

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[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Oh no! What will the children vape!?

[–] whome@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 hours ago

Nitrous oxide

[–] tomi000@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

And what will they litter all around the city? Just the rechargable batteries? Unacceptable

[–] DosDude@retrolemmy.com 35 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Good. But for the wrong reason. Most, if not all, have lithium ion batteries in them. Meaning they all have rare earth materials in them and they get disposed and not properly recycled.

I hope other countries will follow suit, but for the right reason.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 32 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Both reasons are valid. Reducing nicotine use and reducing hazardous waste that is difficult to recycle.

[–] DosDude@retrolemmy.com 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If tobacco products are not banned, don't ban vapes. Vape is a less harmful alternative to tobacco products.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They didn't flat out ban vapes, they banned disposable vapes. You can still get the refillable vapes and e-juice for them.

Its like a single use bag ban. You can still bring your reusable bag to the store and use it, they won't be giving you any dispoable bags though.

[–] DosDude@retrolemmy.com 15 points 2 days ago

You're right. Fuck disposable vapes either way.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I appreciate this news being in English since I don't speak Belch.

[–] thedarkfly@feddit.nl 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Ni vs e rtoûnez nén, 40% des belges n' djåzèt nén leu langaedje nerén.

Don't worry, 40% of belgians don't speak their language either.

[–] Servais@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 17 minutes ago

Unexpected Walloon

[+] metaStatic@kbin.earth -6 points 2 days ago (3 children)

simple workaround, make the already rechargeable battery removable.

a health ban should have nothing to do with the device, in fact refillable devices are more harmful because you need access to a lethal dose of nicotine.

[–] themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 days ago

The ld50 of nicotine is 50mg/kg. When buying nicotine boosters, you buy 10ml flasks of 20mg/l that you dilute. Even if you chugged these boosters, that already have the maximum authorized nicotine content, you would need to chug 50*70/20/0.01 boosters. That's 17500 boosters, which cost 1€ each. Nobody has access to lethal doses of nicotine because of vaping, and if they did the quantity they'd have to ingest would be absolutely insane.

[–] draneceusrex@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (5 children)

At least in the US, when I go to the vape store, I buy juice that is highly diluted. Unless you are a DIYer (very small % of the market), you aren't mixing the nicotine yourself... nicotine is addictive as fuck, but it's not very dangerous by itself. It's all the other shit you take in when you inhale that will kill you.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 1 points 10 minutes ago

Lol wat? https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21582-nicotine-poisoning

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

In Belgium you can only buy 10ml bottles of juice with nicotine. The 50ml bottles require a booster and come in 60ml bottles so you can add the booster yourself.

There's some very weird rules.

[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Not very dangerous when it’s very diluted.

Check the SDS for more info. They didn’t include the high seas pictogram for no reason.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I brew my own juice and tbf, as long as I don't drink from the bottle labeled "PURE ASS NICOTINE" (which would hurt) or chug an entire bottle of juice (which, while flavorful, isn't something one above the age of 6 would accidentally do), I'll be fine.

I think I can manage that, I manage not to accidentally drink the bleach or take all the tylenol every day too, it's really easy if you're careful.

[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you're handling highly concentrated solutions of nicotine, normal lab safety procedures should keep you safe. Wear gloves, be careful, take your time, no rush, clean everything carefully etc. You know, the usual chemical safety stuff.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

Yup!

[–] Usernameblankface@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I don't understand why inhaling a vapor or smoke is the preferred delivery method. I know there are patches, I'd assume pills exist,

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

To add to what he said, route of ingestion affects how different drugs metabolize in your system, and smoking happens to be the ROI that jives best with nicotine.

[–] AmosBurton_ThatGuy@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 days ago

Habit. A huge part of my addiction is simply the act of taking a break and inhaling some vapour. I smoked for 6 years and now have vaped for 8 years. Sure the patch or other alternatives will get me my nicotine but they dont satisfy the need to have something in my hand and inhale.

Yes it's not a good habit but that's my business.

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Yes and last I checked it was pretty difficult to buy undiluted nicotine at all

[–] JudahBenHur@lemm.ee 0 points 2 days ago

but not really. more harmful because you have access to something you'd never ingest?