France: cigarette sales fell by 10 % in 2018
Another piece of excellent news for vaping enthusiasts: tobacco sales in France have seen a net reduction. In 2018, sales fell by almost 10 % according to official figures. This encouraging news seems to confirm that anti-smoking policies are effective, although some are vocal in their disbelief of this fact.
Provider Logista France has just released full figures on cigarette sales in France over 2018. With a drop of 4,13 billion cigarettes sold compared to 2017, it seems France is going in the right direction. The precise percentage of the drop in sales is 9,32 %. This is the third consecutive year that tobacco product sale have been dropping.
However, the 2018 drop is significant compared to comparative figures for previous years. A 1,48 % reduction was observed 2017, and 1,2 % in 2016! This is huge news and seems to highlight the success of anti-smoking measures that were implemented a few months ago.
We can hope the trend continues into 2019
According to specialists in the matter, such as pneumologist Bertrand Dautzenberg, the increase in tobacco prices is the main reason for this trend. Cigarette packet prices increased to 8 euros in March 2018, which triggered the drop in sales. This price is expected to increase again this year, to reach the particularly dissuasive price of 10 euros by 2020.
There is significant debate, however, regarding the success of anti-smoking strategies. For Philippe Coy, president of the National Confederation of Tobbacannists, this drop could be more easily explained by cigarette purchases abroad.
It must also be noted that loose rolling tobacco, while cheaper, saw an even greater reduction in sales (9,4 % to be specific). Alongside the success of vaping, anti-smoking policies seem to be pushing the country in the right direction.
