Extend smoking prohibitions to encompass vaping and e-cigarettes, proposes Warken.
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has urged state authorities to expand non-smoking protections to encompass vapes and e-cigarettes. Warken contends these devices pose a greater risk than many realize, a sentiment shared by the German Cancer Society (DKG). The DKG seeks stricter regulations, advocating for a model similar to France's – where smoking is prohibited in parks, at bus stops, and in front of schools, among other locations, starting July 2023.
Currently, vaping is banned in all enclosed public spaces where smoking is prohibited, such as public transportation, restaurants, bars, and workplaces. Violators face penalties of up to €8,000. Some German states, such as Lower Saxony and Hessen, have expanded restrictions to include e-cigarettes and cannabis vaporizers in areas prohibited for smoking, and in some outdoor areas frequented by children.
In contrast, France generally allows vaping outdoors, except at specific locations like school entrances or non-smoking outdoor spaces. Outdoor vaping is prohibited near schools and similar sites in France, but no current expansion of the outdoor ban is planned.
Regarding product standards, e-liquids in Germany are limited to 20 mg/ml (2%) nicotine, tanks to 2 ml, and bottles for refilling to 10 ml. They must be equipped with child-proof, tamper-proof packaging and health warnings. Political parties, including the SPD and Greens, are pushing for more comprehensive outdoor smoking bans, which would probably extend to vaping and e-cigarettes.
To summarize, Germany's regulations on vaping in non-smoking areas mirror those in France concerning enclosed public spaces and protection for children. However, Germany is working towards increasing restrictions, with efforts underway to extend bans to outdoor spaces and explicitly include all vaping products under smoking legislation. In contrast, France maintains a stringent indoor ban but is currently less restrictive than the proposed changes within some German territories.
The German Cancer Society, like Federal Health Minister Nina Warken, supports stricter vaping regulations, seeking policies similar to France's that prohibit vaping in parks, at bus stops, and in front of schools. The German SPD and Greens political parties further push for comprehensive outdoor smoking bans, which would likely encompass vaping and e-cigarettes, transcending the current general-news discussions on health-and-wellness and policy-and-legislation. Other European countries, such as France, already have stricter rules on outdoor vaping compared to the proposed changes in some German states, showing a diversity in other countries' health-and-wellness and politics approaches towards vaping.
