The number of smokers has decreased in France, good news for health, but less for state finances. Over the year 2024, a shortfall of 400 million euros is expected. On October 17, the Minister of Budget and Public Accounts, Laurent Saint-Martin, made announcements to tobacconists. According to his words, reported by AFP, il “There is no further increase in the trajectory of tobacco growth in the financial bills presented by the government at the end of the year”.
If no increase in the price of tobacco is mentioned in the 2025 budget, centrist MP Charles de Courson proposes taxing vaping products, whether they contain (or not) nicotine. More precisely, the tax rate “is set at 0.15 euros per milliliter of liquid present in a vaping product”can we read in the’amendment.
In this text, it is specified that “the creation of this tax category should make it possible to produce tax revenue estimated between 150 and 200 million euros per year”. Scheduled for application on March 1, 2025, according to the text, this tax must allow “to carry out necessary, precise and regular monitoring of the volumes of products marketed and consumption dynamics”.
Towards taxation of vaping products in 2025? “An anti-public health measure”, warns a tobacco doctor
This tax on products vaping would not be a French exception. Indeed, “19 European countries have already taxed this product, for amounts ranging from 0.10 euros per milliliter in the Czech Republic to 1.04 euros per milliliter, for certain liquids, in Switzerland,” is written in the amendment. In France, the increase in taxes on this type of product “should have a moderate impact on prices in order to preserve access to electronic cigarettes for the 3.5 million consumers of the product” and would allow “to avoid a possible return to cigarettes for many of these former smokers”.
Asked by France Inter, Marion Adler, tobacco specialist at the Antoine Béclère hospital in Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine), denounces “an anti-public health measure”and the specialist to remind public radio of the advantages of vaping as part of stopping smoking “In the latest scientific study from the Cochrane Institute, we see that ‘vape’ is the element that most helps people to quit smoking. I don’t understand why we tax the first aid to quit smoking”. In addition, this increase in prices could discourage people from stopping.
On its tobacco info service website writes that “Vaping could help you reduce your cigarette consumption, and especially stop smoking completely” before specifying that “Additional scientific studies, in progress, are necessary to demonstrate the real effectiveness of e-cigarettes as an aid to stopping traditional cigarettes.” In all cases, please remember that you should not smoke cigarettes and vape at the same time. Moreover, “if you use an e-cigarette, remember that the goal remains to completely stop smoking!”.
Sources :
- National Assembly – Amendment of October 14, 2024
- No increase in tobacco prices in 2025 but perhaps an anti-vaping tax: “An anti-public health measure”, denounces a tobacco specialist – france info – 10/22/2024
- I choose the vape – Tobacco info service – 2022
- AFP
