The French directory of specialty vape shops that are independent of the tobacco industry
A very proactive start to the school year!
The government is hard at work and will present its draft 2027 budget bills—the PLF and PLFSS—to the Council of Ministers in late September.
We don't want to relive the nightmare of Article 23!
FIVAPE is clearly recognized as the representative of the vaping sector, which is independent of the tobacco industry. We are welcomed and heard by government agencies and by campaign teams that are already working toward the 2027 presidential and legislative elections.
Our campaign last year made a lasting impression. The protests by independent vaping professionals and the accompanying media coverage, as well as the influence of consumers through the “Don’t Kill Vaping” petition—which gathered 250,000 signatures—made our voice heard loud and clear.
We keep emphasizing this to everyone we speak with: there are at least 4 to 5 million vapers in France, and they are all potential voters. With an 85% market share, more than 3,500 stores nationwide, and about 100 specialized e-commerce sites, we maintain close and regular contact with all these people, who are particularly grateful for our support in their struggle to quit smoking.
Scientific and Clinical Recognition of the Benefits of Vaping
This summer, the Cochrane meta-analysis was updated again1. Focusing on 80 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nearly 30,000 participants, it now achieves the highest levels of certainty: vaping with nicotine increases the chances of quitting smoking by at least 60% compared to nicotine replacement therapies. For the first time, the authors are calling on the WHO and health agencies to consider these findings in the best interests of smokers and to put their concerns about young people—whose smoking rates are plummeting worldwide—into perspective.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the SRNT (Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco)—the leading international scientific society dedicated to research on nicotine and tobacco—published a recommendation by 24 experts on the clinical use of vaping in the journal JAMA2. In summary, they recommend that healthcare professionals improve their knowledge and fully incorporate vaping into discussions with their patients, without waiting for other aids, medications, or cognitive therapies to potentially fail.
These publications reinforce confidence in vaping as a means to help smokers and combat the scourge of tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable death. They are in line with the expert consensus of the SFT (Société Francophone de Tabacologie) published last year3. It is worth noting that, among the 33 questions and statements, there was unanimous agreement (9 out of 9) regarding the “distinction between products from the tobacco industry and those manufactured by independent manufacturers.”
All of this should reassure and convince decision-makers. The vaping industry and its specialized professionals must be protected and supported, and above all, must not be hindered by punitive taxes or restrictions similar to those that legitimately apply to tobacco, which kills.
Clear-headed and determined
We work very hard, and we want to be confident about the future of vaping and the legitimacy of our independent industry. That said, we’re not naive: opponents of vaping remain very active.
For several months now, and throughout the summer, we have observed that anti-tobacco organizations are now using the same tactics as the tobacco industry to sow doubt about vaping. The organization Contre Feu, in particular, is squandering Social Security subsidies to fund “influencer” programs that disparage vaping and spread falsehoods. No, vaping is not a product of the tobacco industry—it is its greatest enemy. Big Tobacco is only trying to co-opt it to mitigate the impact on cigarette sales, which are plummeting.
We also remain highly vigilant against any attempt to steer the distribution of vaping products toward a monopoly model. We are deeply convinced of this, and we will defend it relentlessly: everywhere abroad, measures presented as mere “common sense” to “regulate” the sector have led to the disappearance of the independent vaping industry, to the sole benefit of the tobacco industry. France has made a different choice, and it’s working: it’s no coincidence that specialized, independent retailers overwhelmingly dominate the market. We don’t just sell products—we advise, we support, and we steer our customers away from tobacco, its venues, and its imagery. FIVAPE will do everything in its power to block any proposal that would threaten this model, in whatever form it may take.
Vaping is recognized, and our industry is recognized. And whether they like it or not, everyone who fights against them is playing into the hands of the tobacco industry.
Independent players in the vaping industry can count on FIVAPE to make their voices heard.
Happy back-to-school!
Jean MOIROUD
President of FIVAPE
- Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation – https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub11/full ↩︎
- Nicotine E-Cigarettes for Cigarette Smoking Cessation
’ Recommendations to U.S.-Based Clinicians – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2852321 ↩︎ - Electronic cigarette for smoking cessation: a fast-track Delphi consensus of French-speaking experts – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13690-025-01725-x ↩︎