The state of Lower Saxony in Germany has expanded its existing smoking ban in public places to include e-cigarettes (vapes) and the vaporization of cannabis. The state parliament approved the legislative amendment, proposed by the ruling SPD and Green parties, with support from the CDU. The AfD party abstained from the vote.

Previously, Lower Saxony's non-smoking laws explicitly covered traditional smoking, which already included cannabis joints. The reform now clearly prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and vaporized cannabis in areas where smoking is banned, such as restaurants and hospitals. This change aims to enhance non-smoker protection.

The SPD and Greens justified the extension by citing the potential health risks associated with inhaling vapor. They also argued that the increasing use of e-cigarettes and vapes in non-smoking areas threatened to undermine the societal shift towards non-smoking as the norm.

• News source: Niedersachsen weitet Rauchverbot auf Vapes und Cannabis aus