French vaping market faces uncertainty: health minister replaced, disposable ban may be put on hold

According to French media reports, in a reshuffle on July 20, 2023, the Borne government transferred the post of health minister from Fran?ois Braun to Aurélien Rousseau. Based on the relevant reports, Gemu Consumer has summarized the key points of concern for industry professionals as follows:
First: the former minister took a hard line on vaping
During his tenure, Fran?ois Braun took a tough stance on vaping, viewing it as a product that posed “extreme harm” to teenagers, and he was pushing forward a bill to comprehensively ban disposable e-cigarettes.
Second: the new health minister is facing questions over a potential conflict of interest
Aurélien Rousseau’s wife is the deputy director of France’s national health insurance fund (CNAM), which has raised public concerns about a possible conflict of interest.
Third: the new minister may take a more open attitude toward vaping
Although Rousseau’s official position has not yet been made public, he has worked closely with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who has long used vaping devices in parliament, and observers expect he may take a more open and inclusive view of the vaping market.

This shift is highly likely to signal changes in the French vaping market. In our May 4 article, “France May Ban Disposables by Year-End? Power Plays Suggest It’s More a Test of Stakeholders’ Reactions,” and in our February 24 article, “From a Crackdown on Disposables to Flavor Bans: Why Is the World’s Third-Largest Market Changing Direction?”, Gemu Consumer analyzed the French vaping market and summarized the following points:

1. France is one of Europe’s top three vaping markets, with a growing user base and an industry that continues to expand. According to a study released by French research firm Xerfi in May 2022, the French vaping industry was expected to maintain annual growth of 5% to 10%, reaching €1.3 billion in 2023.
2. The French government and the public are generally positive about vaping, believing it can help smokers quit. Related studies also support the harm-reduction position on vaping.
3. Disposable e-cigarettes became rapidly popular in France in 2021, and minors can easily obtain them due to regulatory loopholes in convenience stores, online platforms, and other emerging channels.
4. France proposed legislation targeting disposables in 2022, but none of it was implemented. The root cause is that tobacco retailers want exclusive rights to sell disposables, which have already become an important sales category.
5. The French National Committee Against Smoking recommends banning non-tobacco flavors; most experts also do not support an outright ban on disposables.