The report measured a drop of 50,000 tons in tobacco sales, a figure which was expected, after the increase of tobacco prices in March 2018, a drop that equates to 10%. Sadly however, this does not mean that there was a 10% drop in smoking rates. The OFDT report cited customs reports which indicate an increase in tobacco sales near the borders, whilst a police source indicated an increase in tobacco imports from Morocco.
On the other hand, this increase in tobacco prices also equated to an increase in NRT sales in pharmacies, at 25% in 2018. Over 49.8% more smokers seemed to have turned to nicotine patches, while 4.3% more resorted to oral substitutes, and the infamous smoking cessation drug Champix, saw a sales increase of more than 88.4% in 2018.
How about vaping?
According to the report, the number of people using vaping products has remained stable from 2016. However, last Summer the Vaping Post in France together with PGVG Marketing, had released exclusive data pertaining to the number of vaping shops in France, which indicate that the local vaping market is well on the road to recovery.
While the French vape market took a hit between 2014 and 2015, as of 2016 it had stabilized and started expanding again. The article had pointed out that this increase in the number of vape shops is a clear indicator of the popularity of vaping in France, where the market is so strong that it is second only to the one in the UK
