that they “stop selling cigarettes to under-18s and they would be more credible,” says a tobacco expert

While tobacconists are protesting against the new increase announced in the price of tobacco on January 1, tobacco specialist Bertrand Dautzenberg responds to them this Tuesday on franceinfo.

“Let tobacconists stop selling cigarettes to under-18s and they would be more credible,” launched this Tuesday, November 28 on franceinfo Bertrand Dautzenberg, tobacco specialist, pulmonologist and president of the “Paris sans tabac” association while the Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau unveiled the national anti-tobacco plan. Among the measures announced, the increase in the price of a packet of cigarettes: it will increase to 12 euros in 2025, then to 13 euros in 2026. But a first increase in tobacco prices, between 40 and 50 cents based on inflation, should take place from January 1, according to estimates from the Confederation of tobacconists. The latter take a dim view of these increases: “The tobacconists complain because when they complain well, they have more subsidies to maintain their business”, quipped the tobacco specialist. But for him this increase in price “is not a health measure”but “an economic measure to support tobacconists and support the tobacco industry”. According to him, “We need an increase of more than 5% for it to be effective.”

Franceinfo: Is increasing the price of tobacco the most effective weapon to fight against tobacco?

Bertrand Dautzenberg: When it is a real increase, it is the most effective weapon. When we have an increase of less than 5%, it is an industrial decision to increase the profits of tobacconists, to increase the profits of tobacco companies and to ensure state revenue. But it has no public health effect. Nicolas Sarkozy did it five times during his five-year term. We saw that it didn’t do anything at all. An increase of more than 5% is required for it to be effective. This measure announced by the Minister of Health is not a health measure, it is an economic measure to support tobacconists and support the tobacco industry.

However, the tobacconists are not happy…

Tobacconists complain because when they complain well, they have more subsidies to maintain their business. I am quite happy that tobacconists are diversifying, but tobacconists should also stop selling cigarettes to under-eighteens and that way they would be more credible.

The government plan also provides for the extension of tobacco-free spaces to beaches, parks and around public places. Do you welcome this initiative?

There is a real acceleration which is a desire of the public authorities, but also of the population. We see that non-smoking beaches are becoming more and more popular and that non-smoking school outings are necessary. You go to most developed countries, we no longer smoke at the foot of buildings. When you smoke right at the foot of the buildings, all the neighbors are smoked through the windows which overlook the ground floor. So you will have to go further to smoke. It helps smokers smoke less. Most smokers who smoke at work, if it rains for example, do not go on their cigarette break. If it’s further away, I hope there will be smokers who will smoke less.

Is it also to protect non-smokers?

It protects smokers first, who are the first victims of passive smoking. Smoking when everyone around you smokes, you smoke more than when you smoke alone in your corner. Secondly, it possibly protects non-smokers, but also it changes the social norm. For example, when Xavier Bertrand made the decision to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, everyone said: “It was impossible, it’s a disaster”that“there would be no one left in the restaurants”. In fact, restaurant sales have actually improved. There are fewer people in the second half of the night who stay at the table, but overall, there are many more children and people who will benefit from the restaurants.

Will French cities be smoke-free in the future?

In 20 or 30 years, we will no longer smoke. We will find it very very strange that we smoked for so long in France. When I was a medical student, we all smoked in the lecture hall. The professor was smoking in the gallery. It seems so incongruous. We smoked at the cinema, on planes. We are very good at living a healthy life. It’s not a deprivation, it’s a freedom not to smoke. There is no such thing as freedom to smoke. Most of the cigarettes smoked are smoked by people made slaves of tobacco, by the inoculation of nicotine receptors by the tobacco industry which targets teenagers to create tobacco dependence.