Despite the anxiety-provoking climate of the health crisis and even without an increase in taxes, the sale of cigarettes has continued to decline since 2019.
The national tobacco control program appears to be effective. And for good reason, this is the third consecutive year of decline.
Despite a stable taxation that shows no increase, cigarette sales fell 6.5% according to Les Échos. Thus, 33.5 billion cigarettes were delivered to tobacconists against 35.8 in 2020. In addition, after a decrease in deliveries of 6.6% in 2019 then 1.3% in 2020, the president of the association DNF-Demain will be non-smoker Gérard Audureau, assures us that “the success of the national program against smoking is complete”.
After successive confinements and consumption which seemed to be on the rise again in 2020 with more than 20% of French people declaring to smoke every day, the task seemed difficult. But “consumption has not resumed during the pandemic”, guarantees Gérard Audureau.
A success that we owe, according to him, to good management of the national tobacco control program. However, while the High Council of Public Health (HCSP) has just advised against electronic cigarettes as a cessation tool for smokers, DNF-Demain will be non-smoker calls for higher taxation of new generation tobacco products.
Sales of hookah tobacco and heated tobacco have indeed exploded. In five years, they have increased by 245%.