The French National Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie) recommends banning the sale of tobacco to people born after 2009.

The French National Health Insurance recommends banning the sale of cigarettes to people born from 2009 onwards in order to create a "tobacco-free generation" in France.[1]. This proposal is included in its annual report, "Revenues and Expenditures," published on July 2, 2026, which aims in particular to inform budgetary debates on the upcoming Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) with prevention strategies. The organization believes that this measure, supported by public health experts and several policymakers, could complement policies already implemented for decades to reduce smoking and lower healthcare costs.

The British model as a source of inspiration, with strong political and civil support

This proposal is inspired by the United Kingdom, where the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is progressively banning the sale of tobacco to all persons born from 1^er January 2009. This reform is part of a broader anti-smoking strategy, which also includes regular increases in tobacco prices, plain packaging, expansion of smoke-free areas, advertising and promotional bans, and prevention campaigns. According to Thomas Fatôme, Director General of the French National Health Insurance Fund (Assurance Maladie), France could embark on a similar approach to strengthen prevention efforts and reduce the direct and indirect costs of tobacco, estimated at €156 billion annually, including over €20 billion in direct healthcare expenditures for treating patients with cancer or serious cardiovascular diseases.[2].

This aligns with the position of the general public, as well as that of public health experts and some policymakers who support such an ambitious initiative. According to Marion Catellin, director of the anti-smoking collective Contre-Feu, surveys show that 9 out of 10 teenagers say they want to live in a tobacco-free world, and 70% of French people say they support the measure. Furthermore, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist has expressed her support,« on a personal basis »" to this measure, and the Green Party MP Nicolas Thierry had for his part presented a cross-party bill aimed at banning the sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 1st^er January 2014, with the support of anti-smoking NGOs gathered within the Contre-Feu anti-smoking alliance, of which the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) is a part.

The CNCT also reiterates that, as in the United Kingdom, a generational sales ban must necessarily be part of a broader set of strong measures that are rigorously enforced. Similarly, it emphasizes that protecting public policy from interference by the tobacco industry and its allies, tobacconists, is fundamental to the adoption and implementation of this measure.

According to the latest Public Health France Barometer, Smoking among adults aged 18-79 still reaches 24 per 100,000 daily smoking among 18-79 year olds stands at 17.4 per 100,000 daily smoking deaths among 18-79 year olds, and 68,000 premature and preventable deaths were attributable to smoking in 2023, representing 11 per 100,000 of all French deaths. According to the 2022 ESCAPAD survey conducted by the OFDT (French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction), 46.5 per 100,000 French 17-year-olds had already tried a tobacco product, and 15.6 per 100,000 of them were then daily smokers. According to the 2024 ESPAD survey, the experimentation rate among 16-year-old school-aged adolescents is 20 per 100,000, with a daily prevalence of 3.1 per 100,000.[3].

An initiative already underway, planned or encouraged in several countries

Other states have adopted similar measures. The Maldives thus banned the sale of tobacco products last year to people born from 2007 onwards., while extending this ban to electronic cigarettes. The legislation provides for financial penalties for the sellers and consumers involved, including foreign visitors.

To United States, certain localities, particularly in Massachusetts, have also implemented a generational sales ban, multiplying local initiatives in the hope of bringing the issue to the federal level.

Since the adoption of the British legislation on April 21, 2026, many other countries have also announced their intention to adopt such a provision or their public authorities are strongly urged by public health organizations to do so.

Combating the interference of the tobacco and nicotine lobby is vital.

The example of countries like Malaysia or New Zealand, which considered and then cancelled this measure, nevertheless reminds us that such a measure cannot be adopted and implemented without constant vigilance aimed at protecting this decision from interference by the tobacco industry and its allies.

New Zealand's case is emblematic in this regard. In 2022, the country was the first to adopt a generational sales ban for anyone born from 2008 onwards. However, in 2023, the new government repealed this reform before it came into effect, despite massive opposition from the tobacco lobby. The decision was justified by budgetary considerations and the desire to limit the growth of the illicit market, but these were, in fact, the arguments of the tobacco companies, and the decision was strongly criticized by public health organizations. These organizations pointed to the close ties between members of the government and the industry. This reversal led to a stagnation in the decline of smoking rates, and it has prevented the country from achieving its public health goals ; at the same time, the country is facing a sharp increase in vaping among young people.

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[1]The national health insurance system recommends banning the sale of cigarettes to people born after 2009., franceinfo with AFP, published on July 2, 2026, accessed on July 3, 2026

[2]Matthieu Chauvin, The national health insurance system is calling for a ban on the sale of tobacco to people born after this date., Planet.fr, published on July 3, 2026, accessed the same day

[3]Smoking among young people in France, CNCT, accessed July 3, 2026

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