As debates over the 2025 budget intensify in the French Assembly, a group of deputies from the Liot and EPR groups has put forward a controversial proposal to introduce a new tax targeting vapers. The amendment, which suggests implementing a 15-cent per milliliter tax on e-liquids used in electronic cigarettes starting March 2025, has already raised concerns among industry professionals and advocates.
Potential Revenue and Impact on Vapers
The deputies estimate that this new tax could generate between 150 and 200 million euros in additional revenue annually for the state. However, the Federation of Vaping Professionals (Fivape) warns that such a tax could lead to a 40% increase in the prices of e-liquid bottles, potentially pushing many vapers back to traditional cigarettes.
Jean Moiroud, president of Fivape, expresses his concern, stating, "Our fear is that vapers will return to cigarettes." He cites the example of Italy, where a similar tax allegedly caused 20% of vapers to relapse into smoking, undermining years of efforts to help smokers overcome their addiction.
Vaping as a Valuable Tool for Smoking Cessation
Since its rise in popularity a decade ago, the electronic cigarette has established itself as an effective alternative for quitting smoking. Many doctors and addiction specialists view it as a means to guide their patients towards less harmful consumption. France currently has several million regular users, a significant portion of whom are former smokers who credit vaping for their successful cessation after multiple failed attempts.
The health benefits of switching to vaping are now scientifically proven. Independent studies have concluded that e-cigarettes drastically reduce toxic substances compared to traditional cigarettes. A 2015 report commissioned by the British government even estimated that vaping was "95% less harmful" than tobacco, leading UK health authorities to actively promote e-cigarettes as a cessation tool.
Challenges for the French Vaping Industry
For French vaping industry stakeholders, this proposed tax feels like another blow to a sector already subject to strict regulations, including advertising bans, consumption restrictions, and stringent product standards. This pressure has forced numerous specialized shops to close their doors in recent months, and the introduction of a dedicated tax could spell doom for those remaining, depriving them of their main competitive advantage against tobacco.
Upcoming Parliamentary Debates and Opposition
The amendment must still pass through Parliament before coming into force, and the debates promise to be heated. Several deputies have already positioned themselves against the tax, viewing it as a "punitive and counterproductive" measure. They argue for the need to avoid hindering a proven public health tool and highlight the risk of fostering a black market for e-liquids that would evade both health and fiscal controls.
Pro-vaping advocates intend to make their voices heard in the coming weeks to persuade parliamentarians to abandon this taxation. It remains to be seen whether their arguments will carry weight against budgetary imperatives and the temptation of new revenue for the state. The outcome will be determined in the coming months.
