The Lecornu 2 government has just announced its draft 2026 budget. Assimilation to tobacco, taxes, ban on online sales, status of stores... it's a cataclysm for independent vape.
The independent vape industry has helped millions of people quit smoking. Youth smoking is plummeting. In 15 years, vaping has become the N°1 tool for helping people stop smoking and the N°1 enemy of tobacco.
Vaper becomes a smoker
Article 23 of the Finance Bill redefines vape as legally equivalent to tobacco, and applies the same de facto regulatory constraints to it.
In the project, this leads to :
- a new punitive tax - in addition to the 20% VAT - of 3 to 5 centimes per millilitre depending on the nicotine content
- a ban on online sales, i.e. the closure of all e-commerce sites
- a change in the status of specialist stores, modelled on that of tobacconists
Tobacco kills independent vape
Running counter to the general interest and public health, the bill, as written, aims to exterminate the independent sector and curb the growth of vaping among smokers.
The only winner is tobacco, which kills 75,000 French people a year and causes 20% of all cancers.
As of today, FIVAPE is mobilizing all its resources to ensure that Article 23 of the Finance Bill is withdrawn. Thousands of professionals across France will receive a detailed analysis of the bill in the coming days, so they can call on their local elected representatives and their 4 million customers.
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