France’s national health agency, ANSES, has officially concluded that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking. In a comprehensive report published in February, based on an analysis of over 2,500 studies, ANSES confirmed that while e-cigarettes are not risk-free, they consistently reduce exposure to toxic substances compared to combustible cigarettes.
The 700-page assessment found that switching from smoking to vaping reduces exposure to harmful aldehydes by 80% to nearly 100%. Although the report identified possible risks—such as increases in blood pressure and heart rate—it stated that these effects have not been proven to cause disease. Importantly, it noted that no studies to date have shown that vaping leads to tumor development, and there is insufficient evidence to link vaping to cancer or respiratory conditions.
France now joins the United States and the United Kingdom, where similar scientific bodies have previously acknowledged the reduced harm of e-cigarettes. However, ANSES deliberately avoided assigning a single percentage to the risk reduction, unlike the UK’s widely cited 95% figure. Sebastien Soulet, a researcher at the French vaping laboratory Ingésciences, explained that such numbers can oversimplify complex evidence and be misused in public debate. He emphasized that the report’s significance lies in its clarity: vaping is not without risk, but the evidence differs markedly from that for smoking.
Soulet noted that the report is part of ANSES’s broader effort to inform public policy. However, he observed that France’s current regulatory framework remains cautious, focused on youth protection and nicotine control, rather than fully embracing harm reduction. While officials now distinguish between vaping and smoking, recent bans on disposable vapes and impending restrictions on nicotine pouches reflect this precautionary approach.
Claude Bamberger, a former smoker who quit using vapes and volunteers for the Independent Association of Vape Users (AIDUCE), welcomed the report but pointed out its limitations. He argued that ANSES only assessed health risks and failed to evaluate the public health benefits of making vaping products available. This omission, he fears, may limit the report’s impact on policymakers. He also expressed skepticism about whether the report can counter widespread misinformation, noting that media disinformation often overshadows positive messages.
With France’s smoking rate nearing 35% and nearly 74,000 smoking-related deaths annually, the need for effective harm reduction is urgent. While the ANSES report provides a strong scientific basis for policy, experts and advocates agree that translating this evidence into life-saving measures will require overcoming both regulatory caution and public misunderstanding.
