Quitting smoking is challenging but achievable. Numerous methods and specialists exist to support you. The key is finding the right approach and timing. With 3 million users in France[1], is the electronic cigarette a safe alternative? Here's an expert overview.
The electronic cigarette—better known as vaping, since it's not a traditional cigarette—is not officially recognized as a smoking cessation aid. However, in May 2017, France's High Authority for Health (HAS) stated that "its use will not be discouraged, but patients should receive support in stopping or reducing tobacco use."
It remains a commercial product whose long-term safety is unproven. It may expose users to irritants and carcinogens at levels lower than tobacco smoke but still concerning. Without long-term data, full health risks remain unclear.
For these reasons, it's not recommended for non-smokers, minors, or pregnant/breastfeeding women.
That said, with lower toxicity than cigarettes, some tobacco specialists view it as a potential quitting aid for heavy smokers—exclusively, without any tobacco use (cigarettes, pipes, cigars, etc.).
The French Society of Anesthesia and Resuscitation (SFAR) recently endorsed vaping preoperatively: "As smoker and ex-smoker use rises, anesthesiologists and intensivists should see electronic cigarettes as a positive preoperative aid, a key window for quitting."
A battery-powered coil heats a liquid in a refillable tank, producing vapor inhaled through the mouthpiece.
The e-liquid typically includes:
Since April 2016, French standards (via AFNOR) regulate e-liquids: "These world-first voluntary standards ensure safety, quality, and better consumer information, stabilizing the market." Compositions are now verifiable.
A 2017 prospective study (449 pregnant women, Dublin; McDonnell et al., 2020) found vapers' babies averaged 3470 ± 535g birth weight—matching non-smokers (3471 ± 504g) and exceeding smokers' (3166 ± 502g). No differences in gestation, Apgar scores, or NICU stays.
Without definitive studies on efficacy and safety for quitting, experts debate. WHO's 2014 report notes vapor isn't "just water," many devices lack independent testing, emissions vary, and marketing risks glamorizing smoking or attracting youth/minors—urging stricter e-liquid rules and sales bans to minors.
Tobacco experts and addiction specialists counter that WHO overstates risks. "E-cigarettes could save millions of lives this century, with unprecedented public health impact," per Dr. Jacques Le Houezec, French tobacco expert.
At the 2014 French Tobacco Society Congress, experts noted first-generation devices had nitrosamines, but later models don't. Vaping serves as a nicotine replacement alternative for harm reduction—only if tobacco is fully stopped. Dual use doesn't reduce risks.
Source: [1] French Public Health
