A quarter of vapers in France say they would return to smoking if proposed restrictions under Article 23 of the draft 2026 finance bill are enacted, a new survey shows.
A new survey by OpinionWay for FIVAPE reveals that weakening access to vaping risks reversing years of progress in reducing smoking. Among 18 to 34-year-olds, the proportion who say they would go back to smoking rises to 31 per cent.
France still has nearly 14 million smokers, including around 10 million daily smokers, and tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death. Against that backdrop, the survey suggests that measures designed to restrict vaping could have unintended and damaging consequences.
Vaping’s role in quitting smoking
The data underline vaping’s place in France’s long-term decline in smoking. Fifty-two per cent of daily vapers no longer smoke, representing nearly two million people, while 36 per cent of former vapers have also quit smoking, accounting for more than one million people.
In total, at least three million people in France have stopped smoking thanks to vaping, either currently or in the past.
Vaping is frequently used alongside other cessation tools. One in four daily vapers also use nicotine replacement therapies sold in pharmacies, typically with support from healthcare professionals, pointing to vaping’s role within broader strategies to quit smoking rather than as a standalone habit.
Article 23 and the risk of relapse
The survey examined how vapers might respond to several measures linked to Article 23, including taxation, retail restrictions and limits on access to products.
Up to 19 per cent of vapers said that taxing e-liquids could push them back to smoking cigarettes, rising to 23 per cent among those who combine vaping with nicotine replacement therapies.
Restrictions on access appear to pose an even greater risk. If specialist vape shops were forced to close, 23 per cent of vapers said they would return to smoking. Among young adults aged 18 to 34, that figure increases to 31 per cent. More than a quarter of exclusive vapers said they would instead turn to illegal markets.
The bill could also pave the way for restrictions on flavours introduced by decree. Twenty-five per cent of vapers said they would return to smoking if flavours were restricted, again rising to 31% among younger adults.
Independent retailers in focus
The findings also highlight the central role of France’s independent vaping sector. Nearly eight in 10 vapers buy their products from specialist retailers, either online or in physical stores, while 84 per cent use rechargeable devices rather than sealed systems. A residing 86 per cent use flavours other than tobacco, a factor widely recognised as key to successful smoking cessation.
FIVAPE argues that sweeping restrictions would primarily affect those most exposed to smoking relapse, while benefiting illegal markets and tobacco products. It is calling on public authorities to remove vaping from Article 23 and to pursue regulation based on real-world data and public health objectives.
