Belgium becomes first EU country to ban disposable e-cigarettes

A man smokes a disposable electronic cigarette in Brussels on December 12, 2024. Belgium will ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes ('vapes') from January 1, 2025, as it received approval from the European Commission to do so. [AFP]

Wildly popular with young people for their dizzying array of flavours, including apple, watermelon and cola, the time is up for disposable e-cigarettes in Belgium -- the first EU country to ban them.

From January 1, it will be forbidden to sell single-use vapes in Belgium, a bid to protect young people's health as part of a national anti-tobacco plan.