The National Institute for Prevention and Health Education has just released the results of its 2014 INPES Health Barometer. It takes stock of smoking in France in 2014, and for the first time studied the phenomenon of smoking electronic.
First element, the electronic cigarette is known to all or almost, since 99% of the French population knows what it is. However, its use is less widespread: 26% of French people have tried it at least, 6% define themselves as vapers and 3% use it daily, or the equivalent of 1.5 million people. The survey was conducted on a representative sample of the French population, including 15,000 people aged 15 to 75 years.
Rather young, male, smokers or ex-smokers
Overall, the Barometer reveals that vapers are rather young and male: 29% of men surveyed have already vaped, compared to 23% of women. 45% of 15-24 year olds have already experimented with e-cigarettes, compared to only 5% of 65-75 year olds. Finally, vapers have roughly the same profile as smokers, that is to say that of men under 55, with a level of diploma less than or equal to the bac on average.
Among daily vapers, three quarters are smokers (regular or not) while the remaining quarter are ex-smokers. On average, vaping respondents have been using e-cigarettes for an average of 4 months, while 9% have been using them for more than a year. 86% of vapers use electronic cigarettes containing nicotine, and vapot primarily at home or outside.
The main reasons that push smokers or ex-smokers to vape are nicotine addiction, the ever higher price of tobacco, health, freedom of use, respect for non-smokers but also taste, according to the barometer. .
Thanks to these figures, INPES was able to estimate the number of ex-smokers who have quit smoking with the electronic cigarette, at least temporarily: they represent 0.9% of respondents, or around 400,000 people. Finally, more than a third of current smokers say they have reduced their tobacco consumption compared to 2010.
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