The government mobilized to limit the appeal of electronic cigarettes among young people

The tobacconists almost won their case. The finance bill for 2026, presented a little over a year ago, reserved for them the monopoly on the sale of electronic cigarettes, based on the model of the one they hold for tobacco. A measure, intended to regulate the sale of these cigarettes to non-smokers and young people, that the profession was clamoring for. It is in fact in strong competition from stores specializing in “vaping”, which have spread all over France and on the internet.

But to the great dismay of tobacconists, this project ultimately failed. Taking to the streets to defend the “independent” electronic cigarette, not linked to the tobacco giants who mainly sell their products in tobacconists, the specialized stores won their case. The petition they launched has collected more than 220,000 signatures. Scalded, the government did not repeat the experiment in the PLF for 2027, nor did it try again...