Puff: soon banned in France?

[Mise à jour le 4 septembre 2023 à 9h33] There “puff” is a mini disposable electronic cigarette diffusing sweet flavors (watermelon, strawberry, frozen peach…). It is more and more popular in France at teenagers while she is prohibited for sale to minors. But the Puff could also be banned for everyone in France. “We will present soon a new national plan to fight against smoking, including the banning of disposable electronic cigarettes, Puffs, that give young people bad habits“said Elisabeth Borne at the microphone of RTL September 3. To know that “2/3 of adolescents aged 13 to 16 years old have ever heard of the Puff and 13% of them have already used it” indicated thealliance against tobacco in October 2022 before explaining that she encouraged young people to smoke cigarettes. Most Puffs contain nicotine which causes brain damage and increase the addiction risklike all tobacco products. What is a “Puff”? What are the hazards ? His price ?

When will the Puff ban take place?

The measure to ban the Puff will be part of the anti-tobacco plan planned for 2023-2028which will be presented”shortly“said Elisabeth Borne at the microphone of RTL on September 3. “They give young people bad habits. We can say that it is not nicotine, but it is a reflex and a gesture to which young people get used. That’s how they go to smoking” justified the Prime Minister. Namely that the sale of Puff cigarettes is already prohibited to minors in France.

What’s this here Puff?

There “puff” is a mini electronic cigarette pre-filled and pre-charged, disposable, diffusing sweet aromas like candy (strawberry, pineapple, grape flavors etc.). We call puff a puff, a sudden emission of air (in English). The term comes from the vaporization of an electronic cigaretteas it looks “puff” for a puff emitted by a classic cigarette. The Puff appeared in 2019 at the UNITED STATES. She was created by two Californians, Patrick Beltran and Nick Minas, co-CEO of Puff Bar. The trend has been powered in France in particular through the Tiktok social network.

What is the composition of the Puff?

The disposable electronic cigarette consists of a resistance, a battery and e-liquid. The battery heats the coil which in turn heats the vaping liquid. According to the National Food Safety National Agency (handles), the majority of e-liquids declared on the French market are composed of a dilution medium such as propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerinsometimes water and ethanolof the nicotine and taste-imparting substances (vanillin, maltol, menthol, esters with fruity smells). We also find sugars and sweeteners (glucose/fructose, sucralose), acids used in nicotine salts and plant extracts.

“The great danger is the risk that non-smokers will start smoking and become addicted to nicotine”

What are the health hazards of Puff?

The puff has harmful effects on health since it contains nicotine: “THE great danger of these products is the risk that non-smokers start smoking, that they become addicted to nicotineand then start smoking real cigarettes addiction“explains Dr. Frédéric Le Guillou, pulmonologist. “Among teenagers using the Puff, 28% of them started their initiation to nicotine through this product And 17% of them then turned to another form of nicotine or tobacco product” says the Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT) in a study published on October 25. “Composed of nicotine salts, the use of the Puff increases the risks of developing iinflammation of the respiratory tract and impacts cognitive acquisitions of the youngest“adds the ACT. In addition “Puff electronic cigarettes are flavored and that this is used as a marketing argument. Whileit is not known what these aromas contain“. immediately warns Dr. Frédéric Le Guillou, pulmonologist. These devices are the subject of a reporting to the General Directorate of Health (DGS) by the Fivape, vape professionals. Furthermore, you cannot control the quality of the e-liquid integrated into the disposable electronic cigarette.

Is there nicotine in the Puff?

Most puffs contain nicotine, legally up to 2% nicotine or 20mg/ml. “The main danger is the addiction to nicotine that it will trigger since these devices will deliver, in the majority of cases, a significant dose of nicotine“, warns Loïc Josserand, president of the Alliance Against Tobacco. “If this product is taken for several months, there is a 100% chance of becoming addicted to nicotine. It’s very clear” confirms Amine Benyamina, head of the psychiatry and addictology department. There are also versions of disposable electronic cigarettes without nicotine.

What is the price of a Puff?

Electronic vapers”puff” are sold between 8 and 12 euros. These disposable cigarettes are available at tobacconists but also in some supermarkets and on the Internet. “There sale to minors, of these products [les Puff]like any vaping product, is prohibited“ recalls the Ministry of Health.

Thank you to Dr Frédéric Le Guillou, pulmonologist and President of the Respiratory Health Association of France.