France’s new vaping association… founded by Big Tobacco!
Although there are over two million vapers in France, pro-e-cigarette initiatives are still on the rise in France. The latest news is the foundation of France Vapotage, the new French Vaping Federation. There’s only one problem: multiple players in the Big Tobacco industry created the group.
The e-cigarette’s primary virtue is its ability to help fight against the dangers of tobacco addiction. Its success has become commodified, however, and major cigarette manufacturers are trying to take advantage. In the last few years, numerous tobacco companies have begun to sell “tobacco alternatives” in hopes of taking a bite out of the market.
The creation of the French vaping society France Vapotage seems to be motivated by commercial interests. This federation wants to promote electronic cigarettes as a “useful tool to quit tobacco”. The only issue is that the federation is compromised of the cigarette manufacturers British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, and Landewyck. These companies are further joined by the e-cigarette manufacturers Nhoss, Le Distiller, and the specialized boutique Eway.
Previously unheard of federation
It is worth asking how this new federation intends to help France’s vaping industry. Indeed, msultiple other vaping associations already exist: the Fivape (the Interprofessional Vaping Federation) defends the interest of specialty shops, while the Aiduce (Independent Association of E-Cigarette Users) is intended for vapers of all kinds.
The Si2V, the Interprofessional Syndicate for Independent Vapers, was launched in March 2018. It is also worth mentioning Sovape, an important organization that fights against the dangers of tobacco addiction. The common denominator amongst all of these organizations? All of them are completely independent from the Big Tobacco industry.
Despite their efforts, these associations have had little impact on France’s politicians. Unlike British health authorities, the French are hesitant to acknowledge the benefits of vaping, and it is unlikely that France’s new federation, France Vapotage, will change their minds, what with Big Tobacco pulling strings behind the curtain.
