Vaping: uses and reactions to the proposal to classify it as tobacco

Analysis and perspective on the results of the study conducted in November 2025 by OpinionWay for FIVAPE among current and former vapers.

By entrusting this study to OpinionWay, FIVAPE aims to increase knowledge and inform public debate on vaping practices and consumer reactions to proposed regulations that seek to equate vaping with tobacco, whether in the context of Article 23 of the draft finance bill, which currently threatens the independent tobacco industry and vapers, or more generally in public health policy, PNLT, public information, etc.

The methodology and complete results of the OpinionWay study are available in the appendix at the end of this analysis.

Context

Over the past 15 years, certainty about vaping has grown, and science has provided reassurance: 

1. Smoking declines in France¹ ;
2. Smoking rates plummet among young people² ;
3. One in two French people who have quit smoking say they used vaping to help them³ ;
4. Vaping is recognized by scientific consensus as an aid⁴ in smoking cessation, twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapies and without any different or additional side effects^{5 6} ;
5. The significantly lower harmfulness—at least 95%—of vaping compared to smoking is recognized by institutions.⁷ and scientific studies⁸. 

The positive impact of vaping is undeniable.

Misinformation and mistrust about vaping

However, more than one in two French people believe that vaping is no less dangerous than smoking, or even more dangerous, and eight out of ten believe that nicotine is carcinogenic.⁹.

This massive and unprecedented misinformation campaign in public health is fueled by mistrust of vaping.¹⁰, which also hinders a calm and pragmatic assessment of the benefits/risks for individuals and the general interest, given the human, social, and financial costs of smoking. 

Public authorities have been persuaded that vaping is a problem rather than a solution. Taxes, restrictions on the status of specialized stores, bans on online sales, restrictions on flavors, plain packaging "like tobacco": all these measures aim to equate vaping with tobacco.

However, faced with these proposed restrictions, which amount to confusing the cure with the poison, many voices are being raised among healthcare professionals who are experts in tobacco addiction.^{11 12 13 14}. 

An independent industry facing Big Tobacco

Vaping is the number one enemy of smoking, and therefore of the tobacco industry. In France, it is mainly promoted by a sector that is independent of the tobacco industry, which manufactures locally and distributes its products with a view to helping people quit smoking. 

French professionals advocate for useful and responsible vaping. They denounce the influence and methods of the tobacco industry, which would benefit from the collapse of the independent sector. Because if vaping were to be equated with tobacco, it would be demonized and, as a result, made less effective and less accessible. 

It was with this in mind that a study was commissioned from OpinionWay in order to: 

1. take stock of current and past vapers' habits;
2. measure the reactions of current vapers in the event of restrictive measures being introduced;
3. consider the consequences of these restrictive measures for the vaping market and its independent sector in relation to tobacco companies.

OpinionWay for FIVAPE
Study of current and former vapers

Summary

While France has around 14 million smokers, the data is clear: 3 million people in France have quit smoking with the help of vaping, representing around 2 million current users, plus at least 1 million people who have also given up e-cigarettes.

Santé publique France has announced that there are 4 million fewer smokers than there were 10 years ago. The impact of vaping is undeniable and positive: 52% of daily vapers no longer smoke, and its effectiveness is what makes it so popular.

The French market relies mainly on the independent sector, which promotes local products of controlled quality, refillable devices, and advice. 84% of users practice this type of vaping, known as "open vaping," which is effective and responsible, more economical, and less polluting than the sealed, disposable cartridges favored by the tobacco industry.

Any measures to equate vaping with smoking and restrict vaping would have major health consequences, with 25% of vapers saying they would consider returning to cigarettes if they were forced to consume only tobacco flavors. Today, 83% of vapers use a variety of flavors, which is recognized as a key factor in successfully quitting smoking.

Regardless of the measures envisaged, exclusive vapers would be the most likely to seek alternative solutions to continue vaping, even if it meant turning to tobacconists if the network of specialist shops were destroyed, or to illegal markets. On the other hand, the most vulnerable users would be the most likely to return to smoking. For example, 31% of young adults aged 18 to 34 would return to cigarettes if vaping were limited to tobacco flavors, while 25% of dual users who combine vaping and nicotine replacement therapies would start smoking again if taxes were imposed on e-liquids.

The economic consequences for the independent sector would be considerable in any case, with the vaping market inevitably shifting towards tobacconists and parallel markets, thereby favoring products from the tobacco industry and abroad, as well as unregulated illegal products. If online sales were banned, only 49% of users would choose to visit a specialist store. And if these stores were to disappear, 23% of vapers say they would go back to smoking cigarettes.

Studies on the impact of vaping in France are still lacking. However, the implications of any measures concerning vaping would have such significant health, social, and economic consequences that it is unacceptable to debate and legislate based on preconceptions, assumptions, or beliefs. Conclusive data already exists and must be taken into account in order to develop a vaping policy based on the real benefits/risks of vaping compared to smoking, for individuals and for the general interest.

Results

The objective of this study is to understand the uses for measuring the impact of vapers' reactions in the event of the introduction of various restrictive measures. To check the reliability of the results as a whole, some questions aim to corroborate those of other studies. With one exception, concerning the number of vape users (Q1 below), the results are comparable.

The methodology and complete results of the OpinionWay study are available in the appendix at the end of this analysis.

PART I – CONSUMPTION

Q1 – Current or past use: cigarettes, vaping, nicotine replacement therapy

Our survey was conducted in the fall of 2025, and the results on conventional cigarette consumption are identical to the data from the 2024 health barometer.¹⁵ : 

• Public Health France (early 2024): 18.2% daily smokers, 25% daily + occasional smokers;
• FIVAPE (end of 2025): 18% daily smokers, 24% current users.

Beyond the gap of approximately one and a half years between the two questionnaires, the slight differences can be attributed to margins of uncertainty and differences in methodology and panels: 18 years and older for FIVAPE, 18 to 79 years old for SPF, which in both cases excludes minors.

According to data from INSEE¹⁶, the French population aged 18 and over represents approximately 55 million people. Thus, based on SPF data, there are still around 14 million adult smokers in France, including 10 million daily smokers. 

However, when it comes to the number of vaping users, the data revealed by this study differs significantly from that of SPF: 

• Public Health France (early 2024): 6.5% of daily users and 8.4% of current users;
• FIVAPE (end of 2025): 10% daily consumers and 20% current users.

Based on data from INSEE and Santé publique France , there are 4.6 million vapers in France, including 3.6 million daily vapers. However, according to a study conducted by OpinionWay for FIVAPE, these figures are twice as high: 11 million current vapers, including 5.5 million daily vapers. 

The distortion of these results can also be attributed to the time lag between the questionnaires, during a period of popularity for vaping devices, which were banned in early 2025 but have now been replaced by other refillable or illegal products, as well as to margins of uncertainty, variations in panels, methods, or questions.¹⁷ survey institutes. For example, there may be differences in perception between puffs, which have received a lot of media coverage, and traditional vaping, or confusion between occasional use and "just one time" trials.

In any case, the 7% of respondents who say they have used and stopped vaping could represent more than 3 million people according to INSEE, which is a significant number and raises questions about their current status with regard to tobacco (see Q3).

Finally, while the 2024 Health Barometer from Santé publique France does not provide information on the aids used—or not used—in attempts to quit smoking, the OpinionWay study for FIVAPE reveals that pharmaceutical nicotine substitutes remain half as popular as vaping, despite being 100% covered by social security.

Q2 – Daily e-cigarette users

There are three types of daily users:

• Exclusive vapers
• Dual users who use vaping in combination with nicotine replacement therapy
• Dual users who consume both vape and tobacco, known as "vape smokers."

52% of daily vapers no longer smoke, representing nearly two million people. Half of them vape exclusively (27%), while the other half combine vaping with nicotine replacement therapy (25%). 

This significant proportion of dual users of vaping and NSS (nicotine replacement therapy) highlights two phenomena that vaping professionals are observing in the field: 

1. The maximum dosage of 20 mg/ml of nicotine is often insufficient for many smokers who are just starting to quit smoking.
2. Many doctors consider vaping to be a useful aid to quitting smoking and are incorporating it into their practice.¹⁸, sometimes in combination with nicotine replacement therapy. Specialized vaping shops regularly receive customers with prescriptions from their doctors¹⁹.

According to Santé publique France, 47.7% of vapers continue to smoke, at least occasionally. FIVAPE has made a similar estimate, with 48% of vapers also smoking.

There is debate surrounding the status of vaping. While some see it as a failure of vaping²⁰, scientific studies show²¹ that dual use not only reduces the risks by smoking less, but also makes it easier to quit completely by gradually reducing the urge to smoke, and with greater success for those who use flavors other than tobacco. It should be noted that the proportion of vapers has changed little since 2017 (50.3%), whereas it had fallen sharply by 15% between 2015 and 2017²², when vaping was more widely accepted by the public authorities (working group at the DGS, inclusion in Mois Sans Tabac[Smoke-Free Month], public meetings²³, etc.).

The climate of anxiety surrounding vaping, confusion with tobacco, and misinformation about the relative risks have been growing in recent years, contributing to the demotivation of vapers, who see less and less point in quitting cigarettes completely.

Q3 – Behavior after quitting e-cigarettes

36% of people who used vaping and then stopped are no longer smokers, representing more than one million people when cross-referencing data from our study (Q1) and INSEE. Among these former vape users, 66% have stopped or reduced their cigarette consumption, particularly women (74%) and 77% of young adults aged 25 to 34, an age group that also corresponds to the one in which pregnancies are most frequent.

The effectiveness of vaping is undeniable and validates its usefulness in helping many smokers quit cigarettes or, at least, reduce their consumption. 

PART II – THE PRACTICES OF CURRENT AND FORMER VAPERS

Q4 – Where to buy electronic cigarettes/e-liquids

With 78% of current consumers purchasing their products on e-commerce sites or in specialized vape shops, the market dominance of independent retailers is very significant. Online offerings are a major pillar of the market: 31% of vapers purchase from specialized websites, 37% of whom live in rural areas, compared to only 27% in the Paris region.

However, our survey shows that a significant proportion of vaping products are sold by non-specialized retailers, tobacconists, grocery stores, supermarkets, generalist websites, and on the black market, a recent development highlighted in the latest XERFI economic study²⁴.

The massive arrival of puffs, followed by their ban without any precautions or consultation, has already caused disruption in the market to the detriment of independent players, who are solely focused on vaping and are the best guarantors of responsible practice. These players clearly state their goal of helping people quit smoking, to which they are exclusively dedicated through experienced support and the provision of quality-controlled products, mainly manufactured in France according to demanding and rigorous standards.

Q5 – Types of vape e-liquids used

A large majority (84%) of consumers use rechargeable devices, the preferred format of independent players who dominate the market. Rechargeable vaping is also the most economical and environmentally friendly option, unlike pre-filled cartridges—which are sealed and disposable—that are highly polluting. The tobacco industry favors these cartridges because they generate higher margins and lock consumers into proprietary models that are more expensive and less effective at curbing the urge to smoke, thereby encouraging mixed consumption (vaping and smoking).

In the event of taxes per milliliter, refillable products from independent manufacturers would be much more affected than so-called "closed" products from cigarette manufacturers, thus once again favoring the tobacco industry and its sealed disposable cartridges, which were "miraculously" spared from the ban that only targeted vapes.²⁵. 

Q6 – Flavors used with electronic cigarettes

Only 13% of current vapers use tobacco flavor exclusively. Moving away from the taste of cigarettes is a key part of the smoking cessation process, and flavor diversity is a recognized and essential factor in successfully quitting smoking.²⁶. 

In addition to the absurdity of imposing the taste of tobacco on smokers who want to quit, restricting the variety of flavors would impact 86% of current vapers by forcing them to change their habits... and bring them closer to the taste of tobacco once again.

Q7 – The nicotine level usually chosen for e-liquid

The vast majority of vapers (81%) use a low nicotine level, less than 10 mg/ml. For vapers who no longer smoke, lowering the level is a logical step on the path to quitting nicotine. But for vapers who also smoke, underdosing on nicotine complicates the fight against those last few cigarettes.

The demonization of nicotine on the one hand, and the 2016 regulations on the other, have changed the habits of vapers, who have significantly reduced their nicotine intake (halved between 2013 and 2020), automatically leading to a sharp increase in the volume of vaping (tripled between 2013 and 2020) ²⁷. This also coincides with the moment when the number of dual users stopped declining (see Q2). DIY (do it yourself) has developed for economic reasons, but has led to a reduction in nicotine levels among all types of users, including first-time vapers, who would otherwise need high doses to better counter their cravings for smoking. 

PART III – REACTIONS TO THE INTRODUCTION OF VARIOUS RESTRICTIVE MEASURES

Q8 – Reactions to the introduction of a tax on e-liquids

While Santé publique France confirms in its 2024 barometer that "almost all vapers have experience with tobacco, " the introduction of additional taxes (there is already a 20% VAT) amounts to creating a new tax that punishes quitting smoking when done with the help of vaping. This measure is particularly unfair to the most disadvantaged populations, who are the hardest hit by smoking but also the most likely, undoubtedly for economic reasons, to choose to use vaping to help them quit smoking.

Only 31% of vapers would accept a price increase without changing their habits in the event of taxes. However, the growth of vaping would be automatically slowed, and many users would consider reducing their vaping consumption or quitting, even if it meant returning to traditional cigarettes, as 19% of them say. Dual users would be particularly affected: 23% of vapers who also use tobacco nicotine substitutes say they would start smoking again if taxes were imposed on vaping.

The market would suffer a further surge in illegal purchases and recourse to foreign sources, thereby reducing the share of the specialized sector, which nevertheless guarantees good practices, product safety, and the effectiveness of vaping as a means of quitting smoking.

Q9 – Reactions to the ban on online sales of vaping products in France

The ban on online sales, beyond the immediate loss of thousands of jobs in the companies concerned, would be a disaster for the entire industry. Only 49% of current online shoppers would then visit an independent specialist store. Tobacco retailers and the black market would be the main beneficiaries of this ban, which would once again benefit tobacco industry products and foreign goods.

Very few exclusive vapers (7%) consider returning to smoking. However, 25% of vapers who also use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) say they would return to smoking if online sales were banned. 

Q10 – Reactions to the introduction of a single “tobacco flavor” option

Our study shows that restricting flavors is one of the most destructive projects for vaping, which is the most effective and popular tool to help people quit smoking. Thus, 25% of vapers who would be forced to use tobacco flavors say they would start smoking again, particularly young adults (32% of 18-34 year olds), as well as users who combine vaping with nicotine replacement therapy (31%).

Less than one in three vapers (29%) would resign themselves to using only tobacco flavorings. Illegal purchases would skyrocket (26% of respondents) without any quality control or traceability, and the entire French industry would suffer considerable market share losses, once again undermining its ethical and responsible model. 

Q8 – Reactions to the closure of vape shops

If specialized vape shops were to disappear under administrative pressure, the impact on health would also be considerable. 23% of vapers say they would go back to smoking cigarettes, 28% of dual users (vape + tobacco) would do the same, and 31% of young adults (aged 18–34) would return to smoking tobacco.

If, due to the influence of lobbyists, tobacconists became the sole distributors of vaping products, beyond the impact of the closure of thousands of independent shops, French e-liquid manufacturers would also end up going under, to the benefit of products from the tobacco industry and abroad. In particular, 28% of exclusive vapers say they would then turn to illegal markets.

1. Sharp decline in smoking in France: 4 million fewer daily smokers in 10 years – https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/presse/2025/forte-baisse-du-tabagisme-en-france-en-10-ans-4-millions-de-fumeurs-quotidiens-en-moins ↩︎
2. Drug use in Europe at age 16 - ESPAD 2024 results - https://www.ofdt.fr/publication/2025/les-usages-de-drogues-en-europe-16-ans-resultats-espad-2024-2608 ︎
3. Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and related products - https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2995 ︎
4. 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 ↩︎
5. Can electronic cigarettes help people quit smoking, and do they have any adverse effects when used for this purpose? - https://www.cochrane.org/fr/evidence/CD010216_can-electronic-cigarettes-help-people-stop-smoking-and-do-they-have-any-unwanted-effects-when-used ︎
6. Electronic Nicotine-Delivery Systems for Smoking Cessation – https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2308815 / Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation — Have We Reached a Tipping Point? – https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2314977 ↩︎
7. E-cigarettes: an evidence update – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/e-cigarettes-an-evidence-update ↩︎
8. Comparison of the chemical composition of aerosols from heated tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes and their toxic impacts on the human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389420314060?via%3Dihub ︎
9. Attitudes and behaviors of French people towards cancer, results of the 4th Cancer Barometer – https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/presse/2023/attitudes-et-comportements-des-francais-face-au-cancer-resultats-du-4e-barometre-cancer ↩︎
10. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/qui-peur-dun-monde-avec-moins-de-fumeurs-jean-moiroud-9ikye/?trackingId=jSRn6%2FxmcoOVsEkWiB7s0Q%3D%3D
11. Prof. Sébastien Couraud, Prof. Benjamin Rolland – On the subject of electronic cigarettes, the High Council for Public Health has taken an "anti-vaping" stance with "anti-vaccine" arguments – https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2022/03/04/sur-la-cigarette-electronique-le-haut-conseil-de-la-sante-publique-a-une-position-antivape-avec-des-arguments-antivax_6116192_3232.html ↩︎
12. Prof. Gérard Dubois – The end of tobacco? – https://www.larevuedupraticien.fr/article/la-fin-du-tabac ↩︎
13. Prof. Bertrand Dautzenberg – Stop making mistakes by attacking vaping, an effective product to help people quit smoking! – https://www.jim.fr/viewarticle/arr%C3%AAtez-faire-des-b%C3%AAtises-attaquant-vape-produit-2025a1000s8a ↩︎
14. Dr. Irène Frachon – Mois sans tabac : What are the solutions for quitting smoking? – https://www.lepoher.fr/mois-sans-tabac-tabac-pneumologue-tabacologue-irene-frachon-cigarette/ ↩︎
15. Results of the 2024 edition of the French Public Health Barometer: gaining a better understanding of the population's behaviors, knowledge, and opinions in relation to health – https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/presse/2025/resultats-de-l-edition-2024-of-the-public-health-barometer-france-better-understanding-and-comprehending-the-behaviors-knowledge-and-opinions-of-the-population-in-relation-to-health ↩︎
16. Population as of January 1 – Annual data from 1990 to 2025 – https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/5225246 ↩︎
17. Public Health France Barometer 2024. Questionnaire – https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/docs/barometre-de-sante-publique-france-2024.-questionnaire ↩︎
18. 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 ↩︎
19. Welcome to a specialized vape shop – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBqt-_BQtPI ↩︎
20. The CNCT warns about the rise in vaping and the misinformation orchestrated by the vaping lobby – https://cnct.fr/communiques/le-cnct-alerte-sur-la-hausse-de-lusage-du-vapotage-et-la-desinformation-orchestree-par-le-lobb ↩︎
21. Dual use of cigarettes and vapes can reduce risks of smoking and help smokers quit – https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1108881 ↩︎
22. FRANCE PUBLIC HEALTH BAROMETER 2017 – USE OF ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, SMOKING, AND OPINIONS OF 18-75 YEAR OLDS – https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/content/download/197752/2365558#:~:text=The%20initial%20results%20of%20the%20Barometer,%202.7%20%25%20daily ↩︎
23. 1st Vaping Summit on May 9, 2016, and subsequent summits – https://www.sommet-vape.fr/sommet-de-vape/ ↩︎
24. THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE MARKET BY 2030 – https://www.xerfi.com/presentationetude/le-marche-de-la-cigarette-electronique_DIS47 ↩︎
25. Ban on vaping: a victory for public health, the environment, or the tobacco industry? – https://fivape.org/interdiction-des-puffs-une-victoire-pour-la-sante-publique-lenvironnement-ou-lindustrie-du-tabac/ ↩︎
26. Mosimann AF, et al. "E-liquid flavors and nicotine concentration choices over 6 months after a smoking cessation attempt with ENDS in adult smokers." Tobacco Prevention & Cessation, 2025. – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39816168/ ↩︎
27. THE EU NICOTINE USERS SURVEY 2020 – Report on residents of EU countries (37,000 respondents) – ETHRA / French translation – https://ethra.co/images/Rapport_ETHRA_Survey_2020_FR.pdf ↩︎