In a study published on Monday, the CNCT warns about the flavors of electronic cigarettes that contain nicotine and denounces the illicit promotion of these products.
“Tobacco is taboo, we will all overcome it”, this is what the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) hopes, which publishes on Monday a study relating to the anarchic development of new products linked to nicotine. The studycarried out between 2020 and 2022, demonstrates a rapid evolution in the marketing of sweet flavors for electronic cigarettes, especially among young people.
A trivialization of products
In the study, the CNCT shows that the distribution of these new products is trivialized online, in particular with the advertising made by influencers who praise their ease of use, their design and their aromas on social networks.
Added to this is the financial argument put forward by the manufacturers, who regularly offer price reductions. “These products, emphasizing their recreational dimension and minimizing their addictive and toxic nature, have a central role in the normalization of nicotine”, denounces the CNCT in its study.
“Far from helping smokers in their smoking cessation, the multiplication of flavors in new products is only aimed at phishing young consumers”, criticizes Professor Yves Martinet, president of the CNCT.
Bypassing the rules in force
In France, the prohibition of “advertising in favor of tobacco at the point of sale” is “generally respected”, considers the committee. But this is not the case for new tobacco and nicotine products.
According to the association “the heated tobacco of the tobacco company Philip Morris, Iqos, is massively promoted”. The CNCT affirms that “nearly one tobacco shop visited (47%) was “in violation” and “84.5% of tobacconists advertising” for electronic cigarettes “are illegal”, as are 72% of vape shops inspected.
Since January 2016, tobacco advertising has been prohibited in tobacconists – who have a monopoly on its sale -, while that for vaping products, highly regulated, is limited to the affixing of a poster in the store. , not visible from the outside.
“These levels of infringement reflect a systematic and deliberate strategy of circumventing the regulations in force encouraged by the absence of controls”, assures the CNCT
Call for a marketing ban
In particular, the CNCT asks the public authorities “for an immediate ban on flavorings other than tobacco for all products containing nicotine” and better supervision of the sale of new products such as nicotine sachets, “which are not neither declared to ANSES (the national food safety agency, editor’s note) nor in accordance with the legislation”.
Finally, the committee calls for a thorough review of the regulation of new nicotine products, as well as of nicotine as such.
