2026 Vaping Barometer in France – OpinionWay for FIVAPE

Revelations. According to a study conducted by OpinionWay, 80% of smokers who quit with assistance used nicotine. Twelve million French people report vaping, including 6 million who do so daily.

For the second consecutive year, the OpinionWay survey reveals that 22% of the population aged 18 and older report vaping: 11% daily and 11% occasionally. Based on INSEE population data, this represents approximately 12 million people.

The proportion of vapers who are also smokers is significant (54% of daily vapers) and appears to be on the rise. From another perspective, this indicates that more than 6 million smokers are already vaping—nearly half of the 15 million people who currently still smoke.

Another key finding from the OpinionWay survey: for more than 30 years, nicotine has been the primary and most widely used aid for quitting smoking. Since 2010, 80% of people who quit smoking with assistance report having used a nicotine-based product: nicotine replacement therapy (18% of all quits, or 31% of quits with assistance) or vaping (28% of all quits, or 48.3% of quits with assistance). At the same time, attempts to quit without any assistance (the least effective method) plummeted from 82% in 1992 to 42% after 2010.

The introduction of e-cigarettes in 2022, followed by “neo-e-cigarettes” after the ban on e-cigarettes in 2025, and the distribution of these products through channels other than specialty retailers and tobacco shops, likely contributed to a resurgence in the popularity of vaping. 19% of respondents reported purchasing their products primarily at non-specialty stores, supermarkets, or grocery stores, and 6% on the black market.

Specialty stores dominate the market by a wide margin (47% of buyers). Their customer base consists mostly of exclusive and/or daily vapers, and primarily for “traditional” open-system vaping products intended for smoking cessation: refillable tanks, 10-ml bottles of nicotine-containing e-liquid, or large-format DIY (do-it-yourself) nicotine-free e-liquid with the addition of 10-ml vials of nicotine-containing e-liquid.

The customer base of tobacco shops (27%) and non-specialty stores (19%) consists predominantly of occasional users and vapers, who most often purchase disposable products, sealed pods (from the tobacco industry), or “neo-puffs” (imported e-liquids).

The survey also found that vapers strongly prefer a variety of flavors: only 12% use exclusively tobacco-flavored e-liquids. And 82% of vapers use e-liquids with a nicotine concentration of no more than 10 mg per ml, which is often insufficient to successfully quit smoking and maintain abstinence.

FIVAPE Recommendations

The results of this survey fully support FIVAPE’s positions and proposals for a coherent and structured approach to vaping policy in the public interest.

With the introduction of nicotine replacement therapies in the 1990s and the massive rise in vaping since 2010, nicotine has become the primary—and virtually the only (80%)—aid for smoking cessation. Any restriction on its use is, in effect , counterproductive to the fight against smoking.

Nicotine replacement therapies are fully reimbursed by health insurance to encourage their use. Vaping products are subject to a 20% VAT, and this does not appear to have slowed their growth. However, any additional tax on the most popular tool for quitting smoking would be unacceptable, unethical, and contrary to the public health goal of combating tobacco use.

A ban on flavorings would interfere with vapers’ current habits and reduce the success rate of smoking cessation. However, research must continue to identify and eliminate questionable compounds in order to ensure maximum product safety. This oversight is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and its health and scientific agencies.

The plain packaging proposal must be abandoned by its proponents. Vaping products should not be confused with cigarettes. Although advertising is prohibited, manufacturers must be able to freely highlight the unique characteristics of their products, at least on their packaging, starting with distinguishing them from those of the tobacco industry.

The expertise of independent retailers must be recognized and protected. FIVAPE proposes establishing an official registry of vaping product retailers with the Ministry of Health. Based on the organization’s mission, this registry would help exclude non-specialized retailers that do not provide any advice on how to quit smoking and that prioritize the sale of disposable products—which are the most harmful to the environment and the most accessible to young people due to a lack of strict age verification.

Given its significant impact on smoking cessation and its benefits for public health, the senseless demonization of non-smoked nicotine must stop. And public authorities should respond as quickly as possible to ANSES’s directive regarding the improvement of information for the public and healthcare professionals on vaping.