France plans to ban disposable vapes to prevent young people from taking up smoking.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the government will “soon present a new national plan against smoking which will notably ban disposable e-cigarettes, so-called ‘puffs’ which give bad habits to young people”, in an interview on Sunday with RTL radio.
She said smoking is on the rise in France, leading to the deaths of 75,000 people every year.
The government has ruled out tax increases on cigarettes in 2024 but hopes that in banning disposable cigarettes fewer people will take up the dangerous habit.
“One can say this is not nicotine, but it’s a reflex which young people get used to,” Ms Borne said. “That’s how they start smoking, so I think we need to put an end to that.”
Other countries are considering banning vaping products.
The US Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tobacco and vape products, has said it is taking action to tackle the rise of flavoured, disposable e-cigarettes.
Recent research suggested people should be banned from buying tobacco products until they are 22, after a study found those who start smoking before the age of 20 find it more difficult to quit.
The team from Japan looked at 1,382 smokers who had visited a smoking cessation clinic in Kyoto.
Patients were split into two groups based on the age they started smoking – less than 20 years old or 20 years and older.
About 556 smokers had started before the age of 20 – the legal age in Japan – while 826 had started later.
Those who took up the habit before 20 reported smoking 25 cigarettes a day compared to 22 a day in the late-starter group.
Those who started earlier also had higher respiratory carbon monoxide levels in the breath – suggesting they had smoked more cigarettes in the past 24 hours.
Of the early starters, 46 per cent had successfully quit smoking, compared to 56 per cent of those who started smoking at aged 20 or over.
Author Dr Koji Hasegawa, of the National Hospital Organisation Kyoto Medical Centre, said: “Our results show that starting smoking early is linked with higher nicotine dependency, even in young adulthood.
“The study indicates that increasing the legal age to buy tobacco to 22 years or older could lead to a reduction in the number of people addicted to nicotine and at risk of adverse health consequences.”
Another recent study found that boys who smoke in their early teenagers risk passing on damaged genes to their children, leading to greater chances of them developing asthma, obesity and lung problems.
In France, about a quarter of the population smoke on a daily basis, making it one of the highest rates in the western world. The legal smoking age is 18.
In the UK, one must also be over 18 to buy cigarettes. The minimum age was increased from 16 in 2007.
It is estimated that 13.3 per cent of adults over the age of 18 – 6.6 million people – smoked in the UK as of 2021.
According to NHS England, smoking causes about 76,000 deaths per year, with many more living with debilitating conditions caused by the habit.
In 2019, the government unveiled its ambition to make England “smoke free” by 2030, meaning only 5 per cent of the population will smoke.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
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Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
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May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
WOMAN AND CHILD
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