The puff, a new scourge in the fight against smoking

31 May 2024 – The puff, or disposable electronic cigarette, first appeared on the Belgian market several years ago. This new trend in smoking is strongly condemned by healthcare professionals as it is seen to encourage young people to take up smoking. With a sweet taste, coloured packaging, an accessible price and a fun presence on the social networks, puffs generally have a positive image among young people.

A gateway to nicotine dependency

Although they may seem harmless enough, puffs in reality pose more of a problem than one may think. Starting to smoke puffs can be the first step to taking up smoking. The risk of dependency is very high, firstly in terms of the smoking gesture but also in regard to the nicotine itself. In addition to its addictive power, nicotine can also have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system. Puffs can contain as much as 20mg/l of nicotine, which is more than a cigarette. “The risk for young people is to become addicted to nicotine and to then switch to traditional smoking. The electronic cigarette can be an alternative to tobacco but only for smokers as for all non-smokers it is a genuine Trojan Horse,” explains Martial Bodo.

A ban on puffs in Belgium

A lot of cancers are linked to active or passive smoking. Smoking is one of the principal avoidable ​ causes of illness and death. “It is important for smokers to stop smoking all kinds of tobacco products but above all for non-smokers not to start smoking,” stresses Martial Bodo. Belgium has adopted a pioneering position in this combat. Health Minister Frank VandenBrouck has taken a number of drastic measures such as the ban on selling disposable electronic cigarettes after 1 January 2025. This puff ban is one more step towards a non-smoking generation. ​

A team of professionals fully dedicated to accompanying smokers at the Jules Bordet Institute.

It is never too late to stop smoking and to free oneself from nicotine dependency. As a Centre of Excellence against Cancer, the Jules Border Institute combats smoking. A team of tobacco addiction specialists accompanies and supports those who want to take the initiative to stop smoking. Consultations can be at the Institute ​ or at one of our partner centres located close to your home. There is no need to be a patient at the hospital to benefit from this service that is open to all and fully reimbursed by your mutual insurance for the first 8 consultations. Individual and group consultations are available and in English, French or Dutch.

Do you want to stop smoking? Evaluate your consumption? Meet a tobacco addiction expert? Then contact one of the Help Centres for Smokers at the Brussels University Hospital. ​

About the Jules Bordet Institute

An integrated multidisciplinary centre, the only one of its kind in Belgium, the Jules Bordet Institute is an autonomous hospital dedicated exclusively to cancerous diseases. ​ ​ ​ ​

During the past 80 years the Jules Bordet Institute has been offering its patients diagnostic and treatment strategies at the leading edge of progress to prevent, detect and actively fight cancer. The Institute pursues three missions: care, research and teaching. The Institute's international reputation attracts leading experts in the field of cancer. Its spirit of innovation has enabled it to participate in the development and discovery of new methods of diagnosis and major treatment innovations, with the aim of translating the results into improved patient care as rapidly as possible. ​ ​ ​

In May 2028, the Jules Border Institute was officially awarded, for the second time, OECI (Organisation of European Cancer Institutes) accreditation as a "Comprehensive Cancer Center", a quality label reserved for multidisciplinary cancer care institutions that combine research and training. The Jules Bordet Institute is the only Comprehensive Cancer Centre with OECI accreditation in Belgium. ​ ​

On 28 November 2021, the Jules Bordet Institute opened its new building on the ULB university campus in Anderlecht with 80,000 m² fully dedicated to leading edge cancer care, research and training, as well as a patient well-being centre. It offers 250 hospitalisation beds and 43 day hospitalisation beds. ​

The Jules Bordet Institute is also part of the H.U.B., the University Hospital of Brussels, which includes the Erasmus Hospital, the Jules Bordet Institute and the Queen Fabiola Children's Hospital. ​ Thanks to new investments, this internationally renowned university hospital group is able to guarantee high quality care accessible to all combined with excellence in research and training. ​ ​

www.bordet.be

About the Erasmus Hospital

The Erasmus Hospital is located on the Erasmus hospital-faculty campus, which includes the Faculty of Medicine (about 3500 students), the Faculty of Motor Sciences (about 1100 students) and the School of Public Health (about 600 students). Opened in 1977 and with a capacity of 1,048 beds, the hospital receives 25,000 to 30,000 inpatients annually and has 350,000 to 400,000 consultations. ​ ​

More than 4,000 members of staff, in 80 different professions, contribute on a daily basis to providing care under the sign of ambition, excellence and well-being. ​ The Lothier Polyclinic and 2 external centres (the Traumatology and Rehabilitation Centre - CTR and the Geriatric Revalidation Centre - CRG) complete the care offer.

ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ​

The Queen Fabiola University Children's Hospital is the only Belgian hospital exclusively dedicated to children and adolescents. By doing everything possible for the well-being of children, our hospital contributes to their being actors of their own development and to their blossoming in society.

The hospital's mission is to ​

- To care for and support children, adolescents and their families through comprehensive, multidisciplinary, humanistic and excellent care. ​ ​

- To provide high-level teaching and research through a continuous process of innovation and development of knowledge. ​

- To contribute actively to health education. ​

The Children’s Hospital in figures: 183 beds, nearly 135,000 consultations, more than 36,000 emergency admissions and more than 41,000 days of hospitalisation per year. More than 3,700 operations are performed in the operating area each year. More than 1,000 people work there today, representing 750 FTEs (full-time equivalents), including 170 FTE doctors (52.5 post-graduate FTEs) and 440 FTE nurses and paramedics.

www.huderf.be ​

ABOUT THE H.U.B  ​

The Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B) is the academic hospital of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), which unites the Jules Bordet institute, the Erasme Hospital and the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital (HUDERF) since 2021.

As an international reference center, located in the heart of the Brussels Region, the H.U.B offers high quality general, oncological and pediatric care. ​

This excellent care, accessible to all, is enriched and sustained by a dual approach of scientific research and teaching for the caregivers of tomorrow. ​

In 2022, the H.U.B. is composed of more than 6,000 employees who share the following values: Interest of the patient, Respect, Commitment, Solidarity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the principle of Free enquiry.

www.hubruxelles.be ​

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