Health Minister Francois Braun said Sunday he was in favor of banning "puffs", disposable electronic cigarettes popular with young people, but plans to open to pharmacists the prescription of certain nicotine substitutes in the form of electronic cigarettes.
"We must ban puffs" which "in no way allow to get out of smoking," said François Braun to the Grand jury RTL-LCI-Le Figaro, while deputies hope to vote this ban at the beginning of the school year.
"On the other hand, nicotine substitutes to quit smoking, yes we must maintain them." "It is a prescription, moreover I plan to open this possibility of prescription also to pharmacists who are confronted with these smokers who want to quit," said the minister. A point of view that is not shared by the entire scientific community.
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This prescription will exclude puffs, "these colorful products" that "bring young people to tobacco" according to him, but will concern "nicotine substitutes with these electronic cigarettes", which they "allow to gradually reduce nicotine consumption and stop".
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Asked about a possible refund, François Braun replied that the subject was "on the table as part of the government's next anti-smoking plan, scheduled for the period 2023-2028".
He also said he wanted to tax "all tobacco products such as heating or chewing tobacco in the same way" as the pack of cigarettes. Brussels has already proposed banning the sale of flavoured tastes of heated tobacco.