Yasmina Kattou
A new barometer from Public Health France notes an increase in the number of smokers, who now represent 31.9% of French people. This increase in smoking is more marked among women. In 2021, more than one million women declared themselves to be smokers compared to 2019.
A barometer from Public Health France reveals on Tuesday that after a drop in smoking on an unprecedented scale in France between 2014 and 2019, this drop has been interrupted. Today, there are 15 million smokers in France, including 12 million daily smokers. In 2021, three out of ten adults said they smoked, this represents 31.9% of French people, a slight increase of one and a half points (30.4%) compared to 2019. But this increase in smoking is more marked especially among women.
More smokers since the health crisis
In 2021, there were more than one million more female smokers compared to 2019. These are women who have never smoked before, or who have returned to smoking after quitting. This increase in tobacco consumption among women is directly linked to the health crisis: “Women during the crisis more often lost their jobs. And for women who teleworked, they more frequently experienced the presence of children in the same piece”, explains Viêt Nguyen-Thanh, head of the addictions unit of Public Health France.
“All of this could have created conditions of significant mental load and stress which could be tackled by an increase in tobacco consumption or by a resumption of smoking,” she continues.
In total, eight million women smoke every day in France. To encourage smokers and all French people to stop smoking, testimonials from former smokers will be broadcast on TV and on social networks from February 2023.