2023-09-03 20:01:24
The Prime Minister wants to ban these disposable cigarettes, which are very popular with teenagers, in France.
Haro on the “puffs”. The executive has decided to ban these disposable electronic cigarettes, which arrived in France in 2021 and which are very popular with young people. “The government will soon present a new national plan to combat smoking, including the banning of disposable electronic cigarettes, the famous ‘puffs’, which give young people bad habits”announced Sunday, on RTL, Élisabeth Borne.
With their childish, sweet or fruity flavors (marshmallow, cotton candy, “ice candy”, etc.), their brightly colored packaging and their price lower than that of a pack of cigarettes (from 8 to 12 euros), the “puffs worry because they target teenagers. “13% of young people aged 13 to 16 have already used disposable electronic cigarettes of the “puff” type”, is alarmed by a study by the Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT). However, the law prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.
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For the public authorities, this is a question of public health. “We can be told that it is not nicotine. But it’s a reflex, a gesture that young people get used to. Then that’s how they go to smoking, and we have to stop that”, justified the Prime Minister. France is no exception in Europe: several countries, including Germany, Ireland and Belgium have also announced a future ban on these vapers.
A non-recyclable lithium battery
In France, the “puff” phenomenon is gaining momentum, since they already represent 10% to 15% of the sales volumes of the electronic cigarette market (estimated at more than 1 billion euros), according to France Vaping. This tremendous success is partly due to the promotion that is made of it on social networks, a privileged place for exchanges between teenagers. For two years, many influencers have not hesitated to praise its merits, triggering a real fashion phenomenon. The boom of “puffs” is also linked to the fact that they are sold almost everywhere: from supermarkets to specialized stores, at discounters (La Foir’Fouille, Gifi…), in tobacconists and on the internet…
“From an ecological point of view, disposable vapes are indefensible”, says Florent Biriotti, head of vaping stores and creator of the Je suis vapoteur movement. The “puffs” are indeed made of plastic and contain a non-recyclable lithium battery. “However, we would like the government to take measures to make it impossible for minors to access electronic cigarettes,” adds the lobbyist.
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Other professional federations want to be calm. “French independent vaping professionals are prepared for this banbelieves Jean Moiroud, president of the Interprofessional Federation of Vaping (Fivape). This will have very little impact on our industry, because these products are designed in China and most of their value is earned abroad. »
For tobacconists, who hold between 20% and 25% of the “puff” market, the shortfall could be more significant. These disposable vapers, with very comfortable margins, brought them 100 million euros last year (40% of the turnover of vaping products). “We take note of the Prime Minister’s decision and hope that this decision will be applied to all marketing channels, physical and digital.advances Philippe Coy, national president of the Confederation of tobacconists. From the launch, we warned about the commercial abuses maintained from the start by influencers, which led to strong demand among minors. »
No increase in tobacco
The pill is also likely to be bitter for the manufacturers of these disposable electronic cigarettes. In France, about twenty players share this very fragmented and opaque market. The pioneers and leaders in this niche are Liquideo for Wpuff and French Lab for X-Bar. Manufacturers of systems and aromas followed them. Attracted by this phenomenon, several tobacco giants (BAT, Imperial Brands, Philip Morris) have also launched their own “puff” model. Faced with the constant decline in tobacco consumption, the electronic cigarette is, in fact, at the heart of their transformation strategy.
If the “puff” will be banned, the price of a pack of cigarettes should not change, while a rumor was circulating claiming that it could go to 12 euros (against 11 euros on average). “We increased tobacco taxes this year and we do not plan to increase them next year. “, announced Élisabeth Borne at a time when the executive is making the final decisions on the budget for 2024. Good news for the wallets of smokers, but bad news for their health, tobacco being responsible for 75,000 deaths per year.
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This measure is surprising, when Emmanuel Macron had made the increase in the price of the package one of his campaign crusades. In 2017, he promised to gradually increase the price of a pack of cigarettes to 10 euros. Word kept. The additional revenue collected by the State, while taxes represent 80% of the price, are used to finance prevention and nicotine patches. If the executive takes a break, Elisabeth Borne has defended herself from any laxity in the fight against smoking. But public health organizations are pleading for a continuation of the price hike, so that it has a real deterrent effect. A request which is not unanimous within the executive, a minister having declared on RMC to fear that a rise in the price “be perceived as the end of the last pleasure for the working classes”.
It is also possible that the government was persuaded by the lobbying of the tobacco companies. The latter repeat over and over again that increasing the price of cigarette packs only encourages cross-border purchases and contraband tobacco, without reducing consumption. La Seita puts smuggling and counterfeiting of cigarettes at 23% of total consumption and estimates that the “tax trajectory » of recent years “has pushed smokers out of the network of tobacconists, but not tobacco”. A conclusion that the World Health Organization (WHO) refutes, indicating that“a 10% price increase reduces consumption by around 4% in high-income countries”.
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