Drop in smoker numbers actually due to rise of 鈥榲apes鈥�
The recently-announced drop in the number of people who smoke is due to the rise in electronic cigarettes or 鈥渧apes鈥�, rather than anti-smoking health measures, a new study has suggested.
This week, a report from Sant茅 Publique France showed that one million people stopped smoking between 2016 and 2017.
Health minister Agn猫s Buzyn claimed that this was due to the increased availability and use of 鈥渟top smoking鈥� products; and 鈥渘eutral鈥� packets, without any branding or colours.
Yet, a new survey from independent consultancy Odoxa-Dentsu the drop in tobacco smoking is less to do with health aids and blank packs, as the rise in use of e-cigarettes, or 鈥渧apes鈥�.
It that a significant percentage of 麻豆传媒映画 consider e-cigarettes to be a 鈥渟top smoking鈥� aid, with more than two thirds of respondents believing that the use of vapes plays a major role in reducing smoking levels.
Over 80% of respondents said that rising prices for cigarettes - set to hit 鈧�10 by 2020 - is an effective means to reduce smoking, and two thirds of the general public are in favour of the price hike.
Unsurprisingly however, two thirds of people who smoke regularly are against the measure.
The report showed that 15% of people use a vape "regularly or occasionally", with 69% of them saying they mainly combine their usage of vapes with that of real tobacco.
Just under one in three (30%) said they only use vapes.
The report stated: 鈥淰aping appears to be a far more important factor than other means of public health movements against smoking.鈥�
Professor Bertrand Dautzenberg, lung and smoking specialist at the Piti茅-Salp锚tri猫re hospital in Paris, : 鈥淭he most recent price rise [for a cigarette packet] is not the reason for this drop in the number of smokers, because it came into force before the Sant茅 Publique France study.
He : 鈥淭he effect of that price rise will only be shown in next year鈥檚 study. In contrast, I am convinced that vapes have played a major role [in the drop in numbers].鈥�
In general, the report also showed that the public鈥檚 opinion is turning away from cigarettes.
Over 92% of respondents said that they believe cigarettes to be too expensive, and 79% said they considered tobacco to be a 鈥渄rug鈥�.
Almost two thirds (60%) said they did not believe cigarette smoking was 鈥渟ociable鈥� and half the population said that the practice was being 鈥渟tigmatised鈥� in society.
Yet, similar numbers (61%) conceded that tobacco could be seen as an 鈥渁nti-stress鈥� method, and a 鈥渟ource of pleasure鈥�.
