Day: January 1, 2025

Belgium becomes the first European Union country to ban the sale of disposable vapes. The new regulations took effect on January 1, 2025, The Guardian reports.

Belgium decided to ban the sale of disposable vapes for public health and environmental reasons.

A ban on outdoor smoking also came into effect in Milan on the same day, as EU countries discuss stricter tobacco control measures.

Last year, Belgium’s Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke announced the ban, calling e-cigarettes “extremely harmful” to society and the environment.

“Disposable e-cigarettes is a new product simply designed to attract new consumers. E-cigarettes often contain nicotine. Nicotine makes you addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is bad for your health,” he stated.

The minister also highlighted the “hazardous chemical waste” present in cheap, widely available disposable vapes.

Belgium aims to reduce the number of new smokers to zero, or nearly zero, by 2040 and is implementing additional measures to “discourage and denormalise” smoking.

For context, New Zealand and Sweden have recently achieved unprecedented reductions in smoking rates by encouraging smokers to switch to lower-risk alternatives such as vaping and snus. These countries are now on the verge of becoming smoke-free.

On New Year’s Eve in the Belgian capital, Brussels, 159 individuals were arrested for disturbing public order. They burned dozens of cars and attacked rescue services, according to Politico.

Between 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, police arrested 159 individuals and responded to over 1,700 incidents across the city. Most disturbances occurred in the western and southern districts of Brussels, particularly in the municipalities of Molenbeek and Anderlecht.

The Brussels fire department reported that at least 60 cars were burned. Firefighters trying to extinguish the flames were pelted with stones and Molotov cocktails.

More New Year’s Eve Enrichment!New Year’s Eve in Brussels turned into a scene of chaos, as immigrant thugs torched cars, scooters, and shared bicycles. Meanwhile, in Antwerp and Ghent, similar criminals armed themselves with heavy fireworks, using them as weapons against the… pic.twitter.com/gzgKn5HOal

— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) January 1, 2025

Riots and fires were also reported in Antwerp, Belgium’s second-largest city, where 49 arrests were made.

“It was really crazy. We were there to help, and we were getting Molotov cocktails thrown at us,” said Walter Deriu, a spokesperson for the Brussels fire department.

The New Year’s Eve riots have become a regular occurrence in Belgium. In 2023, over 200 people were detained in Brussels, while in 2022, the number was 160.

Terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve

Today, on January 1, a pickup truck drove into a large crowd during New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans. According to preliminary data, 10 people were killed and 30 others were injured.

It’s also worth noting that a similar terrorist attack recently took place in Germany, where a car drove into people at a Christmas market.