Heated Tobacco News reports: In recent years, as countries around the world have continued to tighten tobacco-control measures, e-cigarettes have gradually gained popularity among smokers. A French survey found that e-cigarettes do not offer much help wit
Heated Tobacco News reports: In recent years, as countries around the world have continued to strengthen smoking bans, e-cigarettes have gradually gained popularity among smokers. A French survey found that e-cigarettes offer little help with quitting smoking. Some manufacturers claim that e-cigarettes can help people quit, but a new survey by a French monitoring agency shows that the product does not provide much assistance in smoking cessation.
The annual report on tobacco sales recently released by the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction shows that, based on questionnaire surveys and probability estimates, between 8 million and 9 million people in France have tried e-cigarettes, close to 14% of the total population. About 640,000 people, or 1% of the total population, believe they have completely quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes.
The report states that e-cigarettes appeared in France after the country banned smoking in public places. After more than two years of development, they became widely popular in 2013, and currently between 1 million and 2 million people in France use e-cigarettes every day.
Another survey on e-cigarettes conducted by the agency at the end of 2013 showed that among e-cigarette consumers, only 33% used only e-cigarettes, while the vast majority also smoked conventional cigarettes. Smokers still hoped to use e-cigarettes to reduce cigarette consumption or quit smoking.
However, the popularity of e-cigarettes may be one of the reasons for the decline in tobacco sales in France in 2013. Total domestic tobacco product sales in France fell by 6.2% compared with the previous year, while cigarette sales, which accounted for 80% of the tobacco products market, dropped by 7.6%. The number of patients receiving smoking cessation treatment also showed a downward trend.
The French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction also pointed out that the popularity of e-cigarettes has reduced tobacco consumption, but at the same time contributed to price increases for tobacco products.
E-cigarettes look similar to traditional cigarettes, but are in fact electronic atomizers powered by batteries that convert liquid nicotine into vapor for inhalation, simulating the process of smoking.
Although manufacturers strongly promote e-cigarettes as harmless to health, there is still considerable controversy in public opinion over their safety and their potential negative impact on tobacco control efforts. Many countries and regions have already introduced regulations to manage the classification, sale, and use of e-cigarette products.
