French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne speaks with medical staff in a pharmacy, in Rouen, on Aug 31, 2023, as part of a trip on the theme of public health. (POOL / AFP)

PARIS - France plans to ban disposable electronic cigarettes, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on radio station RTL on Sunday.

“It’s an important public health issue,” said Borne, adding that the government is drawing up plans for a national program to fight tobacco use that she said was responsible for 75,000 deaths a year in France.

So-called "puff" devices generate habits among young people that can lead to tobacco addiction, she added.

However, the government does not plan to raise taxes on tobacco next year after an increase this year, the prime minister said.

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French President Emmanuel Macron in 2021 set out ambitious plans to tackle tobacco and alcohol, pledging more smoking-free areas and aiming to make all 20-year-olds tobacco-free by 2030.