FIVAPE's Media Roundup on Vaping in France and Around the World: May 2026
= FIVAPE questioned or quoted.
Follow us live on our social networks Linkedin, Facebook and X. To make sure you don't miss anything, subscribe to our newsletters and press releases.
May 31, 2026 | EUROPE 1
“Several alternatives can be used in combination: patches, gum, or e-cigarettes. Vaping also allows users to maintain the physical act and sensations associated with smoking.” This educational approach, championed by doctors, is necessary and beneficial in the face of the demonization of nicotine by certain anti-smoking organizations, which leads 80% of French people to believe that it is carcinogenic.
May 31, 2026 | REPORTERRE
Employees of Santé publique France are criticizing the government’s obstruction, which has prevented the launch of several prevention campaigns on heat waves, tobacco, and sports betting. Regarding tobacco, they say this “sends a very bad signal in terms of public health.” As a result, on May 31, no public awareness campaign led by SPF will have taken place to mark World No Tobacco Day.
May 30, 2026 | VAPING POST
So far, no mainstream media outlet has chosen to report on the editorial analysis of the Génération Sans Tabac website conducted by FIVAPE. The document remains available to the public.
France: FIVAPE condemns the media silence surrounding harm reduction
May 28, 2026 | FRANCE INFO
The sharp decline in smoking among young people is finally making headlines!
Tobacco sales continue to decline sharply, with an 8.2% drop over the past year
May 28, 2026 | OFDT
OFDT: Annual Report on Smoking in France. As it does every year in the run-up to World No Tobacco Day, the observatory publishes its report.
Smoking and Smoking Cessation in 2025
May 27, 2026 | FIVAPE
Statement by Jean Moiroud, president of FIVAPE, following the publication of an article in Les Echos on May 27 titled “The Decline in Smoking in France Benefits the E-Cigarette Market”…
Read: Vaping and tobacco—it's not rocket science
May 27, 2026 | LINKEDIN
According to the CNCT, smokers should under no circumstances be informed about vaping; it must be “made invisible.” In practical terms, this means reducing the appeal—and thus the use—of a smoking cessation aid (98% of its users, according to Santé publique France).
May 27, 2026 | VAPING POST
The disastrous public communication surrounding the release of the ANSES report—in contrast to its findings—has led to a record decline in the French public’s perception of the relative risks of vaping versus smoking.
OpinionWay/FIVAPE Survey: French Public Opinion on Smoking and Vaping in 2026
May 27, 2026 | JAMA NETWORK
Nicotine is a key factor in helping people quit smoking. This study found that daily smokers who started using a nicotine-containing e-cigarette were three times more likely to quit smoking within six weeks than those who used a nicotine-free e-cigarette that looked the same.
Toxicant Exposure After Switching From Cigarettes to a Pod-Based E-Cigaretterette
May 27, 2026 | LE PARISIEN
Read carefully between the lines. Lawsuits, appeals… The tobacco industry and anti-smoking groups (in this case, DNF) are working together to establish anti-vaping case law.
May 27, 2026 | CNRS THE JOURNAL
A very interesting publication by the CNRS. An “intuition” is not the same as the truth; it must be verified. And if it’s a red herring, say so. That’s the whole difference between institutions such as the CNRS, ANSES, OFDT, Santé publique France… and private lobbies with no scientific legitimacy that monopolize all the budgets for the fight against smoking only to spread nothing but clichés and “intuitions” (proven false by the real agencies).
Living with cancer doesn't keep people from smoking
May 27, 2026 | VAPING POST
FIVAPE is preparing its response and will release it publicly. Whether you are a professional or a consumer, please take the time to share your opinion. The number of respondents matters just as much as the arguments themselves.
Revision of the TPD: Public Consultation Now Open
May 27, 2026 | LES ÉCHOS
A terrible headline: celebrating the decline in smoking while portraying the rise of vaping as a “problem,” even though it has helped 3 million people quit smoking.
The decline in smoking in France is benefiting the e-cigarette market
May 27, 2026 | VAPING POST
OFDT Report: Has Vaping Replaced Smoking Among Young People? As with the ANSES report earlier this year, public discourse surrounding this new OFDT report is already highly negative in the media. Yet the OFDT reveals historic and very encouraging data.
Vaping has become a political issue
May 26, 2026 | LIBÉRATION
Sweden has virtually eliminated smoking through the use of alternatives.
Public Health
Tobacco: Sweden’s daily smoking rate drops below 5%, according to an NGO report
May 26, 2026 | FIVAPE
Three out of four French people are unaware that vaping is less harmful than smoking. This figure, taken from an OpinionWay survey conducted in April 2026 among a representative sample of the population, is worth noting—not for what it says about a product, but for what it reveals about a deeper dysfunction in the way scientific knowledge reaches the public.
When scientific facts no longer reach the public
May 26, 2026 | FIVAPE
EXCLUSIVE: Revelations about a project managed by the CNCT and funded by the Fund for the Fight Against Addiction. FIVAPE has decided to conduct a comprehensive audit of all content on the Génération Sans Tabac website.
May 26, 2026 | OPINIONWAY POLL
OpinionWay poll for FIVAPE. The demonization of nicotine continues to lead 4 out of 5 French people (80%) to believe that it is carcinogenic. The nicotine used in vaping is the same as that found in reimbursed nicotine replacement therapies, and it is not carcinogenic. It is the smoke that kills, not the nicotine…
View the full analysis and results
May 25, 2026 | COUNCIL OF STATE
For World No Tobacco Day, the League Against Cancer is calling for e-cigarettes to be banned from public spaces. This issue was the subject of a comprehensive opinion issued by the Council of State in 2013. Given the latest reports from ANSES (no proven risks compared to cigarettes) and the OFDT (youth smoking rates in free fall, with the net balance of vaping and/or tobacco use set to halve from 2018 to 2024), and in light of advances in scientific knowledge, the institution’s arguments remain more relevant than ever.
May 25, 2026 | RMC BFMTV
The League Against Cancer is calling for e-cigarettes to be "made invisible." Its director of prevention claims that there are cancer risks, citing the ANSES report, which states that there are none
May 24, 2026 | RCF
Interview with Olivier Smadja, head of Tabac Info Service at Santé publique France.
Smoking: How Can You Quit for Good?
May 23, 2026 | WILEY
Study on the SWAP TO STOP program in England. Despite uneven rollout across regions, the initial results of the program—which provides free vaping kits and support—are very encouraging.
May 23, 2026 | DR GOOD
Published a year ago in Dr. Good magazine. It says it all, plain and simple.
May 22, 2026 | VAPING POST
In the U.S., in California, the smear campaign against vaping is reaching truly alarming proportions…
USA: The Shocking Images from This New Anti-Vaping Campaign
May 20, 2026 | International Journal of Medicine
Parkinson’s Disease / Tobacco (Nicotine?): This analysis “overlooks” scientific research on the effects of nicotine (when not smoked) on certain neurodegenerative diseases. The demonization of nicotine strongly influences certain viewpoints…
Smoking and Parkinson’s Disease: When Epidemiology Blurs the Lines
May 20, 2026 | VAPING POST
“The public health priority is to eliminate combustible tobacco rather than nicotine use per se. ” While the WHO calls for strict regulation, or even a ban on vaping products, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, cigarettes remain widely available. “This imbalance risks protecting the most dangerous products while limiting access to safer alternatives.”
May 16, 2026 | MANOFMAY
A few years ago, Australia was consistently held up as a model for its “exemplary” efforts to combat smoking, but that is no longer the case
How Australia Accidentally Made Smoking Popular Again
May 14, 2026 | NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
DRAFT BILL ON NEUTRAL PACKAGING FOR VAPING: The Conference of Presidents of the National Assembly, which met on Wednesday, May 13, decided not to include the proposed bill on neutral packaging for vaping on the June agenda. This is a welcome reprieve for independent professionals who had strongly criticized the bill. We remain active and highly vigilant as we look ahead to the fall.
Summary of Conclusions from the Conference of Presidents on Tuesday, May 12, 2026
May 13, 2026 | National Library of Medicine
This new study shows that restrictions on vaping devices and flavors—particularly the requirement to use tobacco-flavored products—are causing dual users (vapers who also smoke) to switch back to cigarettes.
May 13, 2026 | VAPING POST
Does Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s Minister of Health, really want to see an end to smoking in his country? According to some sources, he reportedly agreed to allow cigarettes back on supermarket shelves in exchange for support for his proposal to ban flavorings in e-cigarettes.
Belgium bans e-cigarette flavors but reopens the door to cigarettes in supermarkets
May 13, 2026 | I DON'T SMOKE ANYMORE!
Nicotine and Vaping: An hour-long informational session with Jacques LE HOUEZEC, a scientist and tobacco specialist who has been studying nicotine for over 40 years.
Nicotine and vaping: What adjustments are needed for smoking cessation?
May 26, 2007 | VAPEXPO
France’s vaping exception in the EU.
May 26, 2007 | VAPEXPO
Vapexpo 2026 Conference – Vaping, Tobacco, and Youth: The Current State of Scientific Knowledge on Vaping!
May 26, 2007 | VAPEXPO
Vapexpo 2026 Conference – Independent Vaping: The Fight Continues
May 26, 2007 | VAPEXPO
Vapexpo 2026 Conference – Vape Europe Summit: What Does Europe Have in Store for Us?
May 26, 2006 | RADIO FRANCE
An excellent episode of “Le Téléphone Sonne” featuring Alice Deschenau, president of the Société Francophone de Tabacologie, and Marion Adler, a physician and tobacco specialist. The use of vaping by doctors in the field to aid in smoking cessation. The role of specialized shops in providing advice and support is highlighted, complementing the efforts of healthcare professionals.
The Rise of E-Cigarettes: Is Vaping the Same as Smoking?
May 26, 2006 | OXFORD ACADEMIC
New Study: Risk Perception Among Young People. Researchers examined the behavior of young adults based on their perception of the risks associated with smoking versus vaping. Their findings show that when vaping is perceived as equally or even more risky than cigarettes, people turn away from it… sometimes even turning to traditional cigarettes or heated tobacco products. The confusion surrounding relative risks thus benefits the tobacco industry.
05/26/2026 | NIORT NEWS
Jean Moiroud: “A regrettable confusion between vaping and smoking, particularly among young people”
Plain packaging for e-cigarettes: a source of confusion and opportunity for the tobacco industry
May 26, 2005 | LE SOIR
In Belgium, flavored e-cigarettes will soon be banned. And smokers will once again be able to buy cigarettes in supermarkets.
Supermarkets will once again be allowed to sell cigarettes next year
May 26, 2026 | VAPING POST
Greece: A system to enforce the law. Rather than imposing blanket bans and hindering support for smokers in the name of “protecting young people,” the Greek government has decided to take action to enforce the law. For months, FIVAPE has been calling for this type of system in the form of a registry, which would also enable authorities to better monitor the market.
Greece: The country is implementing measures to protect young people from vaping
May 26, 2005 | SUD OUEST
Interview with Jean Moiroud: Plain packaging will do nothing but create “unacceptable confusion” between vaping and smoking, and will only benefit the tobacco industry.
May 26, 2004 | LE PARISIEN
Following the poorly drafted law banning e-cigarettes—which was enacted without consultation or preparation with industry experts—the market has fallen into the hands of traffickers.
May 26, 2004 | FRANCE 3
Instead of considering new laws to impose taxes, ban flavorings, create confusion (plain packaging), or even ban online sales—measures that would hinder efforts to help millions of smokers—public authorities should first ensure that existing laws are enforced in order to “protect young people.”
05/26/2023 | I DON'T SMOKE ANYMORE!
Why is nicotine classified as a toxic substance? A quick and clear explanation by Jacques Le Houezec, a guest of JeNeFumePlus!, an organization that helps people quit smoking through social media and on-the-ground support for smokers.
May 1, 2026 | RTBF
Ban on flavorings in Belgium. The Council of Ministers has approved the bill. It must be submitted to the European Union so that the parliament can pass the law definitively in September. If the law is passed, starting in 2028 in Belgium, smokers who want to use e-cigarettes to try to quit will be limited to a single flavor: cigarette flavor.
Flavorings will be banned in e-cigarettes starting September 1, 2028