Today , an alternative for smokers there and became very popular. It is the electronic cigarette . The progress of the electronic cigarette has been remarkable over the past three years according to observers, but despite its growing success , it is also highly controversial . Only a decade after its appearance on the market , the electronic cigarette has become the new accessory " trend " of smokers , for reasons that are a priori quite convincing : it allows smoking anywhere without much harm health and without disturbing others.
The development of the electronic cigarette has also proved to be very significant in Belgium. According to statistical estimates , there are now nearly 50,000 people who use little gadget steam in the country. While issues of insecurity still arise around this innovative product , the number of his followers has already surpassed 50,000 people. Every month , new shops specializing in the sale of e- cigarettes are opening their doors and customers are not uncommon . It was for example found that only a few months , three new specialty stores were born. The electronic cigarette is the new fad that came to settle in Belgium and its neighboring countries .
When you enter one of these shops selling impossible to prevent you from wearing any interest in the environment: a cozy atmosphere, background music very nice, the faces of the great Gainsbourg and James Dean who welcome you with a cigarette in his hand on the walls , in short , a perfect combination of settings designed to appeal fail the smoker who wants to quit to move on or to reduce tobacco consumption . There is for example the store belonging to John Jeanquart , one of the initiators of the project that does not hesitate to say that proposes models containing nicotine to its customers , something that is illegal in the country. "There nicotine , of course , but we is not what we put forward. So it is very important to know that we sell products with flavors, we gesture, the sensation of smoking . But we are not here to advocate nicotine , " he says .
In Belgium, the health authorities and the government decided to regulate electronic cigarettes containing nicotine as well as drug products . This means that their marketing imperatively requires , like all drugs , authorization on the market. All those wishing to sell this type of electronic cigarettes should first follow procedures to obtain this authorization . Mathieu Capouet the expert Tobacco FPS Health confirms this position. "Today , none of these electronic cigarettes has this authorization and therefore it is prohibited for sale in Belgium. These shops have very recently and therefore our control services installed are clearly aware and make the necessary checks to ensure that these people are punished , " he says . The managers of these new stores are expected to control very soon. Fines could be up to 1200-90 000 and may even end with the closure of the establishment .
Yet this phenomenon of illegal sale of electronic cigarettes is very common in the country.
According to the Foundation against Cancer, the latest figures show that there is already a large number of smokers who have opted for electronic cigarette this year, 2 % of smokers against 0.2 % last year . For public health reasons , an opinion on these products has been requested to the Superior Council of Health of the country.
This is AFMPS (Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products ) which has implemented legislation that products containing nicotine should be marketed in Belgium with drug status . But the spokesman of the agency, Ann Eeckhout said that at present , no institution has made a request to the AFMPS and therefore any type of electronic cigarettes containing nicotine is been recognized . And yet , these products continue to circulate on the Belgian market . " The majority of products are therefore out ," says Ann Eeckhout .
There a few weeks ago , a study published in the magazine " 60 million consumers " in France suggested that e-cigarettes are potentially harmful to health . Tests have revealed the presence of some carcinogens and heavy metals in some samples of the product by some manufacturers.
But as everywhere in the world, opinions are divided on the subject.
Claude Luyeye Bidi , a pulmonologist think it is a great fad. "These products are used primarily to have something on hand, a cigarette substitute to fill the gap ," he says . "It will , as with cigarettes, several years before realizing the real harmful character can have an electronic cigarette , analyzing in detail the composition thereof , '" he suggests .
According Haufroid professor, who is a toxicologist at the University Hospital Saint -Luc , if you really want to make an assessment of the potential hazard and toxicity of e- cigarettes with or without nicotine " we must first evaluate the content of these substances in electronic cigarettes compared to conventional cigarettes , " he recommends . In Belgium , electronic cigarettes are banned in public places , like any object encouraging smoking . However , figures show that the product continues to woo more new users.
Due to the growing consumption of electronic cigarettes within the population , Onkelinx , the Belgian Minister of Health commissioned a report to the Supreme Council of Health about these products , including shisha pens, cigarettes child in vogue in the Netherlands. This review is expected by the end of this year 2013.
