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 fight against smoking, including the ban on disposable electronic cigarettes, the famous” puffs “, which give bad habits to young people,” announced Sunday, on RTL, Elisabeth 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 consumed disposable electronic cigarettes of the “puff” type”, warns a study by the Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT). However, the law prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.
For the public authorities, this is a question of public health. “We can be told it’s 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.
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 vaping devices are indefensible,” says Florent Biriotti, head of vaping stores and creator of the Je suis vapoteur movement. The “puffs” are in fact 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.
Other professional federations want to be calm. “ Independent French vaping professionals are prepared for this ban, says 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 decision of the Prime Minister in the 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. »
The pill may also be bitter for the manufacturers of these disposable electronic cigarettes. In France, around 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. System and flavor manufacturers followed them. Enticed 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” is going to be banned, the price of a packet of cigarettes should not change, while a rumor was circulating claiming that it could rise to 12 euros (compared to 11 euros on average). “We increased tobacco taxation this year and we do not plan to increase it next year,” announced Élisabeth Borne at a time when the executive is making the final decisions on the budget for 2024. A good news for smokers’ wallets, but bad news for their health, tobacco being responsible for 75,000 deaths per year.
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, is 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 that is not unanimous within the executive, a minister having declared on RMC to fear that a price increase “would 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 figures smuggling and counterfeiting of cigarettes at 23% of total consumption and estimates that the “fiscal 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, stating that “a 10% price increase reduces consumption by about 4% in high-income countries”.