Puffs are a hit with teenagers. Problem: these disposable electronic cigarettes increase the risk of nicotine addiction. This is why the collective Alliance against tobacco (ACT) demands their ban in France.
- Puffs are often used on school grounds or after class.
- They are sold between 8 and 12 euros at tobacconists, in certain supermarkets and on the Internet.
- Among adolescents with at least one smoking parent, 20% of them have already tried this disposable electronic cigarette and this figure reaches 29% if both parents are smokers.
They are colorful and their tastes are fruity. Puffs are attracting more and more college and high school students. And for good reason, 9% of adolescents aged 13 to 16 have already purchased these disposable electronic cigarettes and 13% have already used them, “i.e. the same proportion of young people who have already smoked a classic or electronic cigarette”, according a survey led by the collective Alliance against tobacco (ACT).
The puffs are presented as fun products
These vapers prohibited for minors are popular with young people, because they are presented as fun products. According to the survey, a majority of teenagers see puffs as a gadget and more than half of them have a positive image of them. The collective indicates that the original and fruity tastes represent the first argument inciting them to test these disposable electronic cigarettes. “The recreational aspect highlighted by some young people is amplified by social networks: 30% of teenagers want to use a Puff when they see it on digital platforms”says Alliance Against Tobacco.
Puff: these disposable electronic cigarettes are harmful to health
Last February, several addictologists warned of the dangers of these products, which are composed of nicotine salts and can cause addiction to this substance. These vapers are “extremely dangerous”because their goal is “to initiate the consumption of tobacco”, explained to us Amine Benyamina, head of the psychiatry and addictology department at the Paul-Brousse hospital in Villejuif.
The survey conducted by the collective confirms his words. As proof: 28% of college and high school students using puffs began their initiation to nicotine through this product and 17% of them then turned to another form of nicotine or tobacco product. In addition, these electronic cigarettes increase the risks of developing inflammation of the respiratory tract and have an impact on the cognitive abilities of the youngest.
An “immediate ban” on puffs
Faced with the dangers of these vapers, the collective Alliance against tobacco calls for their “immediate ban”. “It has now been several months since the ACT-Alliance against tobacco has been warning about the phenomenon of Puff, which continues to grow. (…) We ask the government to follow the example of the most restrictive legislation on electronic cigarettes disposable, like New Caledonia, which has banned its importation into its territory. Banning the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes in France is the right decision to take if we do not want to see this pediatric epidemic of ‘nicotine addiction’says Loïc Josseran, president of the collective, doctor and researcher in public health.