Smoking prevalence, vaping laws, snus in France

The prevalence of current smokers in the general population in France was 3% higher in 2017 (at 36%) than it was in 2006. Prevalence has fluctuated during this period. These data come from the Eurobarometer surveys, the most recent of which was carried out in 2017. In the most recent survey a total of 27,901 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed face-to-face at home, in their mother tongue, across all 28 of the EU countries. The sample for each country is representative, however the sample sizes are relatively small (e.g. most countries had just over 1000 participants, but for Italy, Malta and Lithuania the sample was around 500). Nevertheless, the Eurobarometer surveys are useful as they have estimates for smoking prevalence collected over a number of years which can show trends, as described here.

France abides by the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) (2014). E-cigarettes may be brought to market either as medicines, or as consumer products. No products have yet been licensed as a medicinal product. As consumer products, e-cigarettes are regulated by the decree of 19 May 2016 on vapor products containing nicotine. French interpretation of the TPD is that the limit on tank size only applies to pre-loaded tanks as in pods and cigalikes. As consumer products, e-cigarettes cannot be sold in pharmacies. Cross-border sales of e-cigarettes are legal. Advertising is not allowed including on billboards, TV, radio or shopfronts: it is allowed only inside shops. Since 2017, vaping has been prohibited in educational institutions, on public transport and in open plan offices, although vaping is legal in bars and restaurants. People who flout the bans can be fined between €35 and €150. E-cigarettes are not included in the General Tax Code and there is no excise tax on e-liquids.

There are no comments specific to snus in France in the database.

In France, Article 19 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive, covering novel tobacco products, covers heated tobacco products. Regulations cover reporting, notifications and health warning labels. In addition, France taxes heated tobacco products under the classification “Autres tabacs à fumer” (“Other smoking tobacco products”).

There are no comments specific to nicotine replacement therapy in France in the database.