Vocational students vape more than peers in general secondary schools
Vocational secondary students in France vape more than general secondary students.
Event / Health
France Youth E-Cigarette Use
OFDT study reveals daily e-cigarette use among French high school students doubled from 2.8% to 6.8% between 2018 and 2024, with experimentation rates rising to 46%. Disposable e-cigarettes accounted for 85.5% of student use before being banned in February 2025, while traditional tobacco smoking declined significantly.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 29 Apr, 08:37 UTC
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What happened
E-cigarette use higher in French vocational secondary schools than general schools
Daily e-cigarette consumption among French high school students differs significantly by school type. In vocational secondary schools (lycées professionnels), daily use reached 11.1% in 2024, compared to 5.3% in general and technological schools (LEGT). The increase was more dramatic in vocational schools, rising from 36.8% in 2014 to 58.7% in 2024 for experimentation rates.
Disposable e-cigarettes called 'puffs' banned from sale in France as of February 2025
Disposable e-cigarettes known as 'puffs' were prohibited from sale in France beginning in February 2025. According to the OFDT study, these products played a significant role in e-cigarette experimentation among French high school students, with 85.5% of students who had tried e-cigarettes having used puffs.
Daily e-cigarette use among French high school students doubled from 2.8% to 6.8% between 2018 and 2024
According to a study by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT) published on April 29, 2026, daily e-cigarette use among French high school students increased from 2.8% in 2018 to 6.8% in 2024. This increase affected both girls and boys, though girls showed slightly higher experimentation rates.
E-cigarette experimentation among French high school students rose to 46% in 2024, up from 35.1% in 2014
The OFDT study found that 46% of French high school students had experimented with e-cigarettes by 2024, compared to 35.1% in 2014. Girls showed higher experimentation rates at 48.7% versus 43.2% for boys. This increase was attributed to marketing targeting young people.
Traditional tobacco smoking among French high school students declined significantly between 2018 and 2024
Daily traditional tobacco smoking among French high school students dropped from 15.5% in 2018 to 2.9% in 2024. Meanwhile, the proportion of students using only e-cigarettes without tobacco increased from 0.8% in 2018 to 4% in 2024, indicating a shift from traditional tobacco to electronic alternatives.
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2 alternative perspectives
France enforces disposable e-cigarette ban starting February 2025
France enforces disposable e-cigarette ban as of February 2025.