Hier, je participais au E-cigarette Summit de Londres, et après mon intervention sur la nécessité de former les boutiques de vape et les professionnels de santé sur la nicotine et la vape, pour aider un maximum de fumeurs à sauver leur peau en passant à la vape, une journaliste de RTL (Marie Duhart) m'a appelé pour intervenir ce matin au journal de 6h15 (j'étais à Londres, donc j'ai mis mon réveil à 5h à cause du décallage horaire).

Mais en fait non, un épisode de neige a annulé mon interview.

Pourtant j'avais préparé ce que j'avais à dire à propos de ce pauvre jeune qui est mort parce que personne ne lui a dit que ce n'était pas bien ve vaper un produit huileux !

Ce que je voulais dire ce matin sur l'antenne de RTL qui avait rapporté la mort d'un jeune Belge à cause "soit-disant de la vape" c'était ce qui suit :

Il y a un mois se tenait à Paris le 3ème Sommet de la vape où il a été clairement dit que l'épisode américain de cet été, fort regrettable pour les victimes, n'a rien à voir avec le vapotage.

Depuis, le CDC (Center for Disease Control) a enfin reconnu que ces morts inutiles sont dues à l'utilisation de cartouches céllées de cannabinoïdes frelatés contenant de l'acétate de vitamine E achetées dans la rue. Ce n'est même pas la vitamine E qui est en cause, mais son support huileux qui ne pose aucun problème lorsqu'il est avalé sous forme de gélules, ou appliqué sur la peau (ce qui est sa destination).

Mais les vapoteurs savent depuis longtemps qu'on ne doit pas inhaler de substances huileuses dangereuses pour les poumons (le propylène glycol et le glycérol, supports des liquides nicotinés, sont des alcools, pas des produits huileux).

Cependant, pour le cas malheureux qui nous occupe, comme ceux des dizaines d'américains morts des mêmes causes, les médias ont encore cédé aux sirènes de l' AFP qui depuis un certain temps se commet dans une campagne de désinformation qui un jour ou l'autre se retournera contre elle !

Ce que fait l'AFP depuis cet été est un crime qui résultera en centaines de milliers de morts inutiles en détournant, sans que l'on sache ses motivations, les fumeurs de la meilleure alternative au tabagisme qui soit, et qui selon Santé Publique France est la méthode préférée des français pour arrêter de fumer. 

Il est aussi du devoir des autorités de chaque pays, de mettre en garde leurs populations des dangers de consommer des produits frelatés que l'on trouve facilement dans la rue ou sur Internet. Les produits du vapotage ne sont pas concernés, on parle bien de produits illégaux et frelatés. L'absence de mise en garde de la part des autorités de santé est un crime !

Results of ETINCEL-OFDT survey on electronic cigarettes

Prevalence, purchase behaviour, usage, and motivation of e-cigarette users

(Original publication in French is available from OFDT website)

(Scroll down for a PDF version of this translation)

OFDT - Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies [French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction]
Note n°2014-01: results from ETINCEL-OFDT survey (November 2013)
Saint-Denis, France, 12/02/2014

Aurélie Lermenier and Christophe Palle (OFDT - «Indicators» Unit)
Design and follow-up of the survey : Marie-Line Tovar («General Population Surveys» Unit) & Aurélie Lermenier

English translation by Jacques Le Houezec, translation notes are indicated within brackets [ ]

Presentation of the survey

While electronic cigarettes appear as a growing phenomenon in France over the last two years, data on prevalence and usage remain fragmentary and difficult to interpret due to the lack of information on the methodologies used. Being deeply involved in issues related to tobacco, for the last ten years the OFDT has produced monthly statistical reports and launched every year a detailed summary review. However, it has become increasingly difficult to interpret trends in the tobacco market without taking into account electronic cigarettes. This is why, at the end of 2013, OFDT decided to conduct a survey focusing on this product, with the aim to provide the government and professionals, within a short time frame, the first reliable estimate of this phenomenon¹, in order to measure its impact on tobacco for the 2013 annual report.

The ETINCEL-OFDT survey (telephone survey for information on electronic cigarettes) was conducted between 12 and 18 November 2013 among a representative sample of 2,052 individuals aged 15 to 75 years, from the metropolitan population (excluding Corsica). A land-line telephone data base (including numbers starting with 01 to 05 [old numbers denoting geographical areas, before introduction of cable and DSL connections] and 09 [non-geographical numbers, after introduction of cable and DSL], stratified by region and urban category) was randomly generated. The sample of individuals from this data base, interviewed by telephone during one week, was established by the method of quota sampling according to sex, age group, and occupational category. The results were calibrated to the latest data from the INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques [French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies]).

The questionnaire consisted of 17 questions (see Annex 1). It addresses the issues of awareness of electronic cigarettes, frequency of use, purchase behaviour of electronic cigarettes and e-liquids or refills, user motivations, etc. Questions about tobacco use were also asked to the respondents in order to know the smoking status (e.g. current or ex-smoker) of electronic cigarette users and measure the potential impact on smoking prevalence.

This paper presents the main results of the ETINCEL-OFDT survey and puts them in perspective with other studies conducted in France.

A large majority of French people are aware of electronic cigarettes

In November 2013, almost nine out of ten French people (88% [86.8 to 89.6])² stated that they were aware, at least by name, of electronic cigarettes. In March 2012, the Eurobarometer on tobacco³ indicated that electronic cigarettes awareness in France was already significant, but three points below the European average of 66%. Awareness of this product was greater among young people aged 15 to 24 years (93%) and among managers and higher intellectual professions (93%) and was slightly lower among 65-75 years (83%), and therefore among the retired (85%). Awareness among smokers, who are the target audience for electronic cigarette marketing campaigns (presenting it more or less openly as a means of smoking cessation), was higher than in people who never or virtually never smoked (93% vs. 85%).

Already one in five French people used it at least once

At the end of 2013, 18% [16.7-20.1] of people surveyed reported having used at least once an electronic cigarette. This is 2.5 times more than in March 2012, when the rate of experimentation in France was 7 % (identical to that in all countries of the European Union).³

Among those who had not yet tried electronic cigarettes, only a small minority (2.3% [1.6-3.0]) intended to do in the near future. This proportion of potential experimenters was twice as high among manual workers (4.9%), and five times higher among smokers (11.2%).⁴

Rather young experimenters, and tobacco users

Men were more likely than women to have ever used electronic cigarettes (22% vs. 15%). The proportion of experimenters decreased as age increased (Figure 1) : nearly a third (31%) of 15-24 years-old had tried them, as opposed to no more than one in five of 35-44 years-old, and one in ten (9%) between 55-64 years-old. For reasons probably more related to age than professional status, retired people were less likely to try these products. Not surprisingly, being a smoker or having smoked in life influences the level of experimentation : half of smokers (51%) report having tried electronic cigarettes as opposed to only 12% in ex-smokers, and 3.5 % among respondents who never or rarely smoked.⁵ Thus, among the experimenters, three quarters were smokers, one in six was a former smoker and nearly one in ten (9% ) had never smoked or had only tried smoking. Furthermore, although the sample size makes it difficult to draw geographic comparisons, experimentation appears less common in the north (Nord-Pas-de-Calais: 7.9 %) than in the west (23,1% in the area consisting of the regions Brittany, Pays de la Loire, and Poitou-Charentes) and the South west (21,3% in Aquitaine, Limousin, and Midi-Pyrénées).

Electronic cigarette use concerns one in fifteen person in the last month

At the end of 2013, recent use (within the last thirty days and excluding experimentation) of electronic cigarettes concerned 6.0% [5.0-7.0] of French people, or a third of those who tried them.⁶ Although they were more likely to experiment than older people, 15-24 years-old were proportionately less likely to have used it in the month preceding the survey, followed by 25-34 years-old. It is after the age of 35 that people seemed more likely to "adopt" electronic cigarettes after having tried them (Figure 1): regardless of their age group, more than one experimenter in three reported recent use. It is likely that the trendy effect is playing more in young people experimentation, who would try it more by curiosity, while older users are more likely to use them specifically to reduce or stop tobacco use.

Figure 1 : Proportion of experimenters (blue bars), recent use (red bars), and daily use (green bars) of electronic cigarettes, by age group
Source : ETINCEL-OFDT survey (November 2013)

Unlike experimental use, more common in men, there was no gender difference in recent (and daily) use of electronic cigarettes. Apart from the lower proportion of retired people among users in the last month (3.1%), given their age, there was also no significant differences according to their socio-economic category. However, as for experimental use, use in the last month was higher in the West of the country (9.3%), and lower in the North (1.6%), possibly due to an easier access to cheaper tobacco in Belgium and Luxembourg.

All recent users of electronic cigarettes reported current tobacco use, or having used tobacco in their lifetime, but smokers were significantly more likely to use electronic cigarettes than ex-smokers (78% vs. 22%).

Slightly more than 3% of daily users

More than half (54%) of those who used electronic cigarettes in the last month use them daily, or 3.3% [2.5 to 4.1] of French people (Figure 2). As already observed for recent use, the difference between the youngest and the oldest users was confirmed for daily use: among recent users of electronic cigarettes, only 44% of 15-24 years-old used them daily, as opposed to 50-75% of 50-75 years-old. This seems to reinforce the hypothesis that young people would bow to fashion, whereas those being over 50 years-old are more likely engaged in giving up tobacco use or in harm-reduction, as soon as they try them, certainly in relation with being older. When faced with health damages, actual or perceived as very likely, caused by usually long-life (several decades) smoking, older smokers tend to turn to electronic cigarettes to reduce their risks.⁷

Figure 2 : Proportion of experimenters, recent users, and daily users of electronic cigarettes in France
Experimental use: 18 %, Use in the last month: 6 %, Daily use: 3.3 %, Exclusive use: 1,3%
Source : ETINCEL-OFDT survey (November 2013)

Many daily users of electronic cigarettes are still using tobacco, since two-thirds of them were dual users (tobacco and electronic cigarettes). However, among them, more than six in ten (62%) used "electronic cigarettes most of the time and tobacco sometimes"; a quarter of them responded the opposite.
Exclusive electronic cigarette users, i.e those who do not currently use tobacco, represented 1.3% [0.8-1.8] of the surveyed sample, and the vast majority (81%) used them daily.

A growing usage since spring 2013

Three quarters (76%) of vapers⁸ who used electronic cigarettes during the thirty days preceding the survey started using them less than six months ago, that is to say, since April-May 2013, which coincides with a period of extensive media coverage, particularly related to a report on the subject submitted by OFT⁹ to the Ministry health. Only 13% reported having started to use them more than one year ago.

The vast majority (78%) of those who used electronic cigarettes in the last month owned their own electronic cigarette, while 16% used those belonging to other people (the remainder sharing them with one other user: spouse, friend, etc.). This latter figure may be explained by the desire to test the product and the liquid flavours before making a purchase that represents a certain upfront investment: a minimum spend of 50 Euros for a rechargeable electronic cigarette and a little less than 6 Euros per 10 ml bottle of e-liquid. A lower proportion of vapers aged 15-24 owned their own electronic cigarette (44%), probably because they are often less likely to be regular users, while the proportion rose to 93% among 35-54 years-old.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of recent users reported not knowing the nicotine content of the liquid or refill for the electronic cigarette they used (the majority of these being people who did not own their own). Among those who did know, 11% reported using a 0 mg/ml concentration (no nicotine), highlighting the low proportion of non-nicotine-dependent users, or those who have successfully given up, after a gradual reduction in nicotine dosage. Four in ten vapers choose a medium dosage (between 7 and 12 mg/ml), while the remaining users were equally distributed (24%) between low dosage (between 1 and 6 mg/ml) and high ones (greater than 12 mg/ml).¹⁰

Purchases mainly in speciality shops

The electronic cigarettes market is still poorly organized and regulated,¹¹ and it is shared by many manufacturers and retailers. However, the majority of purchases by those surveyed (58%) were made in speciality shops for this type of product, even though the purchases in tobacconists [a monopoly for tobacco sales in France] was by no means negligible (21% - Figure 3). The Internet is a rather small source of supply: 9% of those surveyed bought their electronic cigarette online. Purchases from pharmacies [a monopoly for drugs in France, where there exist no GSL even for OTC drugs], which are actually prohibited to sale these products,¹² or from supermarkets were mentioned, but concerned very few purchasers. Speciality shops were also the source of the majority of purchases of e-liquids and refills: 54% of those surveyed used them, whilst 24% did it in a tobacconist.

No matter where they purchased their electronic cigarette, a very large proportion of users used the same supply channel for purchasing refills. This was especially true for tobacconists (91%) but also for speciality shops (88%): although there is no evidence to establish whether this was in the same place, this figure may well suggest that users are attached to the personal relationship with a vendor who can advise them.

Finally, the market for disposable electronic cigarettes appears to be very small: only 4% of those who had used electronic cigarettes in the last month used these type of products, which are sold mostly for trial purposes, rather than of loyalty. Indeed, they are easy to use, similar to conventional cigarettes and allow to try the product at a low cost. It is likely that with the increase in electronic cigarettes use, disposables have experienced a decline in their market share.

Figure 3: Distribution of locations where electronic cigarettes are purchased in France
Speciality shop 58%, Tobacconist 21%, The Internet 9%, Pharmacies 5%, Other places 8%
Source : ETINCEL-OFDT survey (November 2013)

Primary motivation : giving up completely

Half (51%) of people surveyed who reported simultaneous use of tobacco and electronic cigarettes spontaneously claimed that their main and ultimate goal was to stop completely the use of both products.¹³ Among the motivating factors reported, next came, but far behind, the reduction of tobacco consumption but without giving up entirely (11.5%), and then substituting electronic cigarettes for tobacco (8.2%), both of which might relate to a form of harm-reduction. Other users highlighted the decrease in health risks, reduction in tobacco inconveniences, cost, and the ability vape anywhere.

The product is therefore strongly linked to the idea of smoking cessation, and even beyond that to reduce or even to eliminate any nicotine dependence. According to a survey conducted in Great Britain among users of electronic cigarettes,¹⁴ the idea of smoking cessation was also the most common: 34% of vapers reported using electronic cigarettes to quit smoking, and 28% "because they had already tried to quit and wanted something to help to stop for good." They were 22% to want to reduce their consumption without giving up completely, and the same proportion to be motivated by the potential savings.¹⁵
Among the very small proportion of surveyed people who were former smokers (even occasional ones) and had used electronic cigarettes within the last month (namely 1.2%), most of them (84%) considered they had completely stopped smoking by using them: this represents 1% of the French population. Without presuming the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation,¹⁶ especially as the numbers here are very small, it seems that smokers are convinced of its usefulness for achieving this goal, as an alternative to nicotine replacement therapy and smoking cessation medications. This opinion is also shared by a significant part of the population: as 43% of French people believe that these products are an effective mean to reduce or stop smoking.¹⁷

Conclusion

In November 2013, the vast majority of the French population had heard about electronic cigarettes, and between 7.7 to 9.2 million people had tried them, mainly young people and smokers. In the month preceding the survey, 6% of the population were using electronic cigarettes. Between 1.1 and 1.9 million people reported daily use of electronic cigarettes in France: some 67% of tobacco smokers used them mainly to stop or reduce their daily tobacco consumption, and therefore potentially the health risks associated with smoking. Although 9% of those using electronic cigarettes reported having never or rarely smoked tobacco, all the regular vapers were or had been smokers: electronic cigarettes appear therefore, at least for the moment, to rather be a way out of smoking, rather than a "gateway" into smoking.

The exclusive use of electronic cigarettes is fairly limited, but may increase over time, as smokers use these products to reduce their tobacco dependence. The ultimate goal of vapers is focused on complete cessation; with three quarters of regular users having started using electronic cigarettes less than six months before the survey, more time may be needed before effective cessation is confirmed, which at the end of 2013, represents 1% of the French population.

Rechargeable electronic cigarettes represent the vast majority of the market (over 95% of those who had vape in the month) and the purchase of the object itself and the refills are made primarily in speciality shops (over 50 %) and tobacconists (over 20 %).

Further surveys are needed to consolidate these findings and their evolution over time. At the beginning of 2014, the increased media attention and the strong momentum of the electronic cigarette market show no sign of slowing: it is therefore likely that the number of users, going from experimentation to daily use, will continue to rise.

Annex 1. Questionnaire

Survey on behaviour of use and purchase of electronic cigarettes and tobacco

Part I : Electronic Cigarette

Q1 - Have you heard, even if only by name, of electronic cigarettes, also known as “e-cigarettes”, “personal vaporisers” or “vaporette”?

1- Yes

2- No

Q2 - (if yes to Q1) Have you ever tried an electronic cigarette?

1- Yes

2- No

Q3 - (if no to Q2) Do you intend to try an electronic cigarette in the near future?

1- Yes - Go to Q10

2- No - Go to Q10

Q4 - (if yes to Q2) Have you used an electronic cigarette within the last 30 days (apart from for the first time)?

1- Yes

2- No - Go to Q10

Q5 - (if yes to Q4) How often do you use electronic cigarettes?

Interviewer: List responses

1- Every day

2- Several times a week

3- Once a week

4- Two to three times a month

5- Once a month

6- (Don’t know)

Q6 - (if yes to Q4) When did you start using electronic cigarettes?

Interviewer: List responses

1- Within the last 30 days

2- Between 1 and 6 months ago

3- More than 6 months ago, but less than a year ago

4- One year ago or more

5- (Don’t know)

Q6bis - (if yes to Q4) Do you have your own electronic cigarette?

Interviewer: List responses

1- Yes, I have my own

2- No, I share it with someone else

3- No, No, I use other people’s - Go to Q9

4- Other (explain) - Go to Q9

Q7 - ( if yes to Q4) Where did you most recently buy your electronic cigarette?

1- From a shop specialising in electronic cigarettes

2- Online

3- From a tobacconist

4- From a chemist

5- Other (explain)

Q8 - (if yes to Q4) Where did you buy your most recent e-cigarette refill (liquid, cartridge, etc.)?

1- From a shop specialising in electronic cigarettes

2- Online

3- From a tobacconist

4- From a chemist

5- Other (explain)

6- (Not applicable, I use disposable cigarettes)

Q9 - (if yes to Q4) What dose of nicotine do you use in your electronic cigarette?

Interviewer: for zero nicotine, use code 0 and for “don’t know” use code 99

/__/__/

Part II : Tobacco

We are now going to ask you some questions on your tobacco consumption (cigarettes, roll your own tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, pipe, shisha/hookah, etc.) in addition to your use of electronic cigarettes.

Q10 - Do you smoke tobacco, even if only occasionally?

1- Yes

2- No - Go to Q12

Q11 - (if yes to Q10) Did you smoked tobacco within the last 30 days…?

Interviewer: List responses

1- Every day

2- Several times per week

3- Once per week

4- Two to three times in the month

5- Only once in the month

6- (Don’t know)

Q12 - (if no to Q10) Have you ever in your life smoked tobacco regularly or from time to time?

1- Yes, regularly

2- Yes, from time to time

3- (I have only tried it) - Go to Q17

4- (Never) - Go to Q17

Q13 - (if yes to Q12 and yes to Q4) Did you completely stop smoking due to the use of electronic cigarettes ?

1- Yes - Go to Q17

2- No - Go to Q17

Q14 - (if yes to Q10) Where did you last buy your tobacco for your own consumption (pack of cigarettes, roll your own tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, pipe, shisha/hookah, etc.) ?

Interviewer: do not prompt

1- From a tobacconist in France

2- From a tobacconist in a country bordering France (Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium)

3- From a tobacconist in another country

4- From duty-free

5- Online

6- On the street

7- Other

8- (Don’t know)

Part III : Tobacco and electronic cigarette

Q15 - (if yes to Q4 and yes to Q10) Do you currently use…?

Interviewer: List responses

1- Electronic cigarettes most of the time and tobacco sometimes

2- Electronic cigarettes as often as tobacco

3- Tobacco most of the time and electronic cigarettes sometimes

4- (Other)

Q16 - (if yes to Q4 and yes to Q10) In the long term, is your main reason for using electronic cigarettes to…? ONE RESPONSE ONLY

Interviewer: Do not prompt – use codes

1- Stop smoking and vaping completely (tobacco and electronic cigarettes)

2- Reduce my tobacco consumption without stopping smoking tobacco

3- Reduce my tobacco consumption without stopping using electronic cigarettes

4- Substitute electronic cigarettes for tobacco

5- Reduce my spending on tobacco/save money

6- Be able to vape wherever I like (in the office, at home, etc.)

7- Reduce tobacco-related issues (bad breath, yellow teeth, smell of stale smoke, etc.)

8- Reduce the risk of harming my health without stopping smoking tobacco/they are less dangerous for my health

9- No longer be addicted to nicotine/gradually reduce my nicotine dependence using e-cigarettes

10- Other (explain)

11- (Don’t know)

Annex 2. Regulation

At National level

Current French legislation does not consider electronic cigarettes to be a tobacco products, since they do not contain tobacco and do not involve combustion. For this reason, they are not strictly speaking subject to tobacco product regulations, although they are tending towards it. An amendment prohibiting sale to minors was therefore included in the consumer bill (agreement having been reached on this point, this prohibition is set to become law in 2014) and the Ministry of Health wants to ban their use in public places and bars, restaurants etc., despite the fact that no legislative framework has yet been agreed (the Ministry having referred the matter to the Conseil d’État, which has yet to rule). For the moment, only an organisation’s internal regulations can limit their use (as is already the case for some public transport systems, such as RATP, SNCF, Air France, etc.) and the Saint-Lô city council is the only authority to date to have banned use of electronic cigarettes (by administrative order) inside local authority buildings.

Advertising electronic cigarettes is not specifically prohibited, but may fall within the ambit of France’s “Évin” law, which prohibits “any direct or indirect advertising or promotion of tobacco or tobacco products”. Indeed, the hand to mouth behaviour, the vapour released, the possible presence of nicotine, etc. are all so similar to a real cigarette that it is considered that they could possibly encourage smoking. It is this point of law, and more generally, the infringement of the monopoly on tobacco sales that have prompted a French tobacconist to take action for “unfair and illegal competition” against an electronic cigarette retailer located in the vicinity of his business. In December 2013, the Commercial Court of Toulouse found in his favour, relying on Article L.3511-1 of the Code de la Santé Publique [French Public Health Code], which defines tobacco products as “products designed to be smoked […] whether or not they contain tobacco, with the sole exclusion of products designed for medicinal purposes”. The electronic cigarette retailer has appealed this decision, which, if confirmed, could set a precedent and result in the closure of speciality shops in favour of reinstating the tobacconists’ monopoly.

In France, electronic cigarettes are also not considered to be smoking cessation aids or medicinal products, since no manufacturer has claimed as such, which would require them to obtain authorisation to place such products on the market. In the absence of sufficient scientific research on the safety of electronic cigarettes, or on any potentially harmful effects they may have on health, the Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits de Santé (AFSSAPS, which became the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé, the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products, or ANSM) advised against using them in 2011 (http://ansm.sante.fr/var/ansm_site/storage/original/application/6badbfed8724d925b6fafc331da6becc.pdf).

At European and international levels

Discussions to provide a framework for electronic cigarettes at European level fall within the scope of the review of the Tobacco Products Directive 2001/37/EC, which regulates the manufacture, presentation and sale of these products. In December 2012, the European Commission submitted to the European Council and the European Parliament a proposal for a Directive, which was the subject of numerous debates between the various parties involved throughout 2013. Originally planned for September, the proposal to strengthen legislation on tobacco products was examined by the European Parliament in October 2013 (increase in the size of health warnings, prohibition on flavoured cigarettes (except for menthol, for which an extension is granted), list of authorised additives, etc.). The decision to classify electronic cigarettes as tobacco products or medicinal products having not yet been taken, their status as ordinary consumer goods will therefore be retained.

In mid-December, the 28 Member States of the European Union reached agreement on this future “Tobacco Directive” to control tobacco smoking and to better regulate the electronic cigarette market. Consequently, sales of these products to those under 18 years-old will be prohibited, although countries which deem them to be medicinal products may continue to do so (without obliging others, such as France, to do so), the maximum concentration of nicotine will be set at 20 mg/ml (which is a level rarely, if ever, exceeded in points of sale in France) and the European Commission is to submit a report on the health risks associated with using electronic cigarettes within two years.

This agreement is set to be ratified by the European Parliament and at a plenary meeting of the Member States in February/March 2014, before being definitively adopted. After this, each country will have two years to transpose the Directive into domestic law, which means it will not be in force before 2016.

At international level, the World Health Organisation advises against using electronic cigarettes, as long as there is no scientific evidence that they are safe. Only a few countries have imposed a total ban on this product, among them, Brazil, Argentina and Singapore; in others, such as Switzerland and Canada, only zero-nicotine electronic cigarettes can be marketed.

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Prévalence, comportements d’achat et d’usage, motivations des utilisateurs de la cigarette électronique.

(Prevalence, purchasing behavior and usage motivations of vapers.)  Scroll down for English version

Sans grande surprise, le fait de fumer ou d’avoir fumé au cours de la vie influe sur le niveau d’expérimentation: la moitié des fumeurs (51%) déclarent avoir essayé la cigarette

électronique alors qu’ils ne sont que 12% chez les ex-fumeurs et 3,5% parmi les enquêtés n’ayant jamais ou rarement fumé.

 

L’usage récent (au cours des trente derniers jours et hors expérimentation) de la cigarette électronique concerne, fin 2013, 6,0% [5,0-7,0] des Français, soit un tiers de ceux qui l’ont essayée. Bien qu’ils soient plus expérimentateurs que leurs aînés, les 15-24 ans sont en proportion les moins concernés par l’usage dans le mois précédant l’enquête, suivis des 25-34 ans. C’est après 35 ans que les personnes semblent les plus enclines à «adopter» la cigarette électronique après l’avoir essayée: quelle que soit la tranche d’âge, plus d’un expérimentateur sur trois déclare alors un usage récent. Selon l'OFDT, il est probable que l’effet de mode joue davantage chez les jeunes, qui feraient l’expérience de ce produit par curiosité, alors que les utilisateurs plus âgés seraient plus nombreux à l’utiliser dans le but précis de réduire ou d’arrêter de consommer du tabac.

Au contraire de l’expérimentation, plus marquée chez les hommes, l’usage récent (et quotidien) de la cigarette électronique n’est pas différencié selon le sexe.

En revanche, comme pour l’expérimentation, l’usage dans le mois est plus développé dans l’ouest (9,3%) et moins répandu dans le nord (1,6%), peut-être en raison de la facilité d’accès à du tabac moins cher en Belgique ou au Luxembourg.

Tous les usagers récents de la cigarette électronique ont déclaré consommer ou avoir consommé au cours de leur vie du tabac mais les fumeurs sont significativement plus nombreux que les ex-fumeurs (78% contre 22%).

 

Proportion d’expérimentateurs, d’usagers récents et d’usagers quotidiens de la cigarette électronique en France.

 

 

Un peu plus de 3% d’usagers quotidiens

 

Plus de la moitié (54%) des usagers dans le mois de la cigarette électronique l’utilisent quotidiennement, soit 3,3% [2,5-4,1] des Français.

Déjà observé pour l’usage récent, l’écart entre les plus jeunes et les plus âgés se confirme avec la consommation quotidienne: parmi les utilisateurs récents de la cigarette électronique, les 15-24 ans ne sont que 44% à le faire chaque jour quand ils sont 67% chez les 50-75 ans.

 

Les utilisateurs quotidiens sont encore nombreux à alterner cette consommation avec celle de tabac, puisque deux tiers d’entre eux sont des usagers mixtes (tabac et cigarette électronique). Toutefois, parmi eux, plus de six sur dix (62%) utilisent «le plus souvent la

cigarette électronique et parfois du tabac»; un quart répond le contraire. Les usagers exclusifs de cigarette électronique, c’est-à-dire qui ne consomment pas aussi actuellement du tabac, représentent 1,3% [0,8-1,8] des enquêtés, parmi lesquels une majorité (81%) l’utilise tous les jours.

 

Trois quarts (76%) des vapoteurs au cours des trente jours précédant l’enquête ont commencé à l’utiliser il y a moins de six mois, c’est-à-dire à partir d’avril-mai 2013, ce qui correspond à une période de forte médiatisation du phénomène, liée notamment à un rapport sur le sujet remis au ministère de la Santé. Seuls 13% déclarent avoir débuté leur consommation il y a plus d’un an.

 

Près d’un quart (24%) des usagers récents déclarent ne pas savoir quel dosage de nicotine contient le liquide ou la recharge de la cigarette électronique qu’ils utilisent (majoritairement le fait de personnes qui ne possèdent pas la leur). Parmi ceux qui le connaissent, ils sont 11% à déclarer une concentration nulle, marquant la faible proportion d’usagers non dépendants à la nicotine ou qui ont abouti à un sevrage total après une baisse progressive du dosage. Quatre vapoteurs sur dix ont choisi un dosage moyen (entre 7 et 12 mg/ml) alors que les autres se répartissent à parts égales (24%) entre un faible (entre 1 et 6 mg/ml) et un fort dosage (supérieur à 12 mg/ml).

 

Le marché des cigarettes électroniques est encore peu organisé et réglementé, de nombreux fabricants et vendeurs se le partageant. Toutefois, les achats ont lieu majoritairement dans un magasin spécialisé dans ce type de produit (58%), même si le recours à un bureau de tabac n’est pas négligeable (21%). Internet représente un vecteur assez minoritaire: 9% des personnes interrogées y ont acheté leur cigarette électronique. Des achats en pharmacie, où la vente de ce produit est pourtant interdite, ainsi qu’en supermarché sont mentionnés mais ne concernent que très peu d’acheteurs. Pour ce qui est des liquides et recharges, les boutiques spécialisées sont aussi majoritaires: 54% des enquêtés y recourent, ils sont 24% à s’être rendus chez un buraliste.

Enfin, le marché des cigarettes électroniques jetables apparaît très minoritaire: seuls 4% des usagers dans le mois utilisent ce type de produit, qui est vendu dans une perspective d’essai plus que de fidélisation.

 

Motivation première: le sevrage total

 

La moitié (51%) des enquêtés qui déclarent utiliser simultanément du tabac et la cigarette électronique affirment spontanément que leur objectif principal et ultime est d’arrêter toute consommation de ces deux produits. Parmi les motifs évoqués, viennent ensuite, loin derrière, la réduction de la consommation de tabac mais sans arrêt complet (11,5%) puis le remplacement du tabac par la cigarette électronique (8,2%), ce qui peut s’apparenter dans les deux cas à une forme de réduction des risques.

L’image du produit est donc fortement liée à l’idée du sevrage tabagique, et même, au-delà, à celle de réduire voire de supprimer toute dépendance à la nicotine.

 

Parmi la très faible proportion d’enquêtés qui sont anciens fumeurs (même occasionnels) et usagers dans le mois de la cigarette électronique (soit 1,2%), la plupart (84%) estiment avoir arrêté complètement de fumer grâce à celle-ci: cela représente 1% de la population française. Sans présager de l’efficacité réelle de la cigarette électronique pour le sevrage tabagique, d’autant plus que les effectifs sont ici très réduits, il semble bien que les fumeurs soient convaincus de son utilité pour atteindre ce but, comme alternative aux substituts nicotiniques et aux médicaments pour l’arrêt du tabac. Une opinion d’ailleurs partagée par une partie non négligeable de la population: 43% des Français estiment en effet que ce produit est un moyen efficace pour diminuer ou arrêter de fumer.

 

D’autres enquêtes sont nécessaires pour conforter ces résultats et suivre leur évolution dans le temps. Début 2014, la médiatisation et le dynamisme du marché de la cigarette électronique ne semblent pas ralentir: il est donc probable que le nombre d’usagers, de l’expérimentation à l’usage quotidien, évolue encoreà la hausse.

 

__________________________________________

English version

 

This survey ETINCEL-OFDT (telephone survey for information on electronic cigarette) was realised from 12 to 18 November 2013 on 2,052 individuals representing the French metropolitan population (except Corsica) aged 15 to 75 years.

 

At the end of 2013, 18% [16,7-20,1] of surveyed persons reported to have used at least once an electronic cigarette. This is 2.5 folds more than in March 2012.

 

Without any surprise, the fact to be a smoker or an ex-smoker influence the experimentation level: half of the smokers (51%) reported to have tried an e-cigarette, compared to 12% of ex-smokers, and 3.5% among those who never smoked or rarely.

 

Recent use (during the last 30 days, exclusive of experimentation only) of e-cigarette is reported, at the end of 2013, by 6.0% [5.0-7.0] of French people, representing a third of those who tried it. Even if 15-24 years old report more experimentation than older people, they are fewer reporting recent used, followed by 25-34 ans years old. It is after 35 that people are more likely to "adopt" the e-cigarette, after having trying it: whatever the age category, more than one in three persons who experienced it report a recent use. According to the OFDT analysis, the youngest are probably motivated by curiosity, and because it is fashionable, while the older people are more likely to use it to reduce or stop tobacco smoking.

Contrary to experimentation, more frequent in men than women, recent use and daily use is not influence by gender.

However, like for experimentation, last 30-day use is more frequent in West of France (9.3%), and less in the North (1.6%), probably because of a greater access to cheaper tobacco in Belgium or in Luxembourg.

All recent e-cigarette users reported to be smoker or having smoke during their life, but smokers more than ex-smokers (78% vs. 22%).

 

Experimentation rates, recent use and daily use of e-cigarette in France.

 

(experimentation, recent use, daily use, exclusive use)

 

Over 3% of daily use

 

More than half (54%) of recent e-cigarette users use it daily, representing 3.3% [2.5-4.1] of French people.

Like for recent use, the difference between the youngest and the oldest users is confirmed with daily use: among recent users, only 44% of 15-24 years old are daily users, compared to 67% in 50-75 years old category.

 

A large proportion of daily e-cigarette users are still smoking, 2/3 of them are dual users (tobacco and e-cigarette). Nevertheless, among them, more than 6/10 (62%) use "most of the time an e-cigarette, and sometimes tobacco"; 25% of them is doing the reverse. Exclusive users of e-cigarettes, those who are not smoking tobacco, represent 1.3% [0.8-1.8] of surveyed people, among which a majority (81%) use it daily.

 

Three quarter (76%) of vapers who used an e-cigarette in the last 30 days have started its use less than 6 months ago, which means in April-May 2013, a time where the e-cigarette was appearing a lot in the media, particularly after the report from OFT was delivered to the Ministry of Health. Only 13% reported to have started using an e-cigarette more than a year ago.

 

Almost a quarter (24%) of recent users reported that they did not know the nicotine content of the e-liquid or the cartridge they are using (for most of them, those people do not possess their own e-cigarette). Among those who know, 11% reported using an e-liquid without nicotine, showing the small proportion of non-dependent users, or those who succeed to stop all nicotine use after reducing progressively the nicotine concentration. Four vapers out of ten (40%) use a medium nicotine concentration (between 7 and 12 mg/ml), while others are equally split (24%) between a low (between 1 and 6 mg/ml) or a high (over 12 mg/ml) concentration.

 

The e-cigarette market is still not much organised and regulated, with numerous makers and vendors. However, most of the sales are made in specialised shops for e-cigarettes (58%), even if tobacconist sales is not negligible (21%). Web shops represent a minor vector: with only 9% of surveyed people buying e-cigarettes on the internet. Some sales in pharmacies, where the sales are not allowed, as well as in supermarkets, are mentioned but represent a small proportion. Concerning e-liquids and cartridges, specialised shops are also the major source: 54% of surveyed people buying e-cigarettes in these shops, and 24% in a tobacconist.

Finally, disposable e-cigarettes represent only a minority of the sales: only 4% of recent users use this type of product, which is usually sold more for a try than for regular use.

 

Major motivation: stopping tobacco and nicotine

 

Half (51%) of surveyed people who reported using both tobacco and e-cigarettes declared spontaneously that their main objective was to stop both products. Among other motivations, follow, the reduction of tobacco consumption without quitting (11.5%), then switching completely from tobacco to e-cigarette (8.2%), both being a form of harm-reduction.

The product is then strongly associated to stopping tobacco smoking, and even beyond, to reduce or to end nicotine dependence.

 

Among the small proportion of surveyed people who used to smoke (even occasionaly), and who used an e-cigarette in the last 30 days (representing 1.2%), most (84%) reported quitting smoking with the help of the e-cigarette: this represent 1% of the French population. Without knowing exactly the efficacy of the e-cigarette for smoking cessation, particularly because of the small sample, it seems that smokers are convinced of its utility to attain this goal, as an alternative to nicotine replacement or other pharmacotherapy. This opinion is also shared by a significant part of the population: 43% of French people believe that it is an effective way to reduce or quit tobacco smoking.

 

Other surveys are necessary to support these results and to follow the evolution in the future. At the beginning of 2014, the popularity and the rapid development of the e-cigarette market is not diminishing: it is then probable that the number of users, moving from experimentation to daily use, is still increasing.

 

Mise à jour du 31/01/2014

M. Seychell, de la DG SANCO a répondu à notre lettre du 16 janvier (aussi en bas de cette page), voici sa réponse.

M. Seychell from DG SANCO replied to our letter from January 16 (his response, to our letter).

Voici notre réponse / Here is our response (scroll down for English version, PDF is here) :

31 janvier 2014

Cher M. Seychell,

Nous vous remercions de votre réponse rapide à notre lettre.

Cependant, nous ne pensons pas que nos inquiètudes ont été prises en compte. La proposition législative reste basée sur une incompréhension et une mauvaise interprétation des données scientifiques et impose des restrictions injustifiables. Une loi qui réglementerait l'e-cigarette de façon plus restrictive qu'elle ne le fait pour les cigarettes de tabac, bien plus dangereuses pour la santé selon les mesures objectives, ne pourrait qu'être néfaste à la santé publique.

Nous acceptons votre clarification à propos de la délivrance consistante comme concernant la concentration de nicotine dans la vapeur et non celle délivrée à l'utilisateur, tel que le texte le suggère. Mais le texte pourrait être plus clair sur ce point.

En ce qui concerne le reste de votre réponse, elle ignore les arguments que nous avons avancé à propos de la toxicité de la nicotine, du seuil de concentration de nicotine dans les e-liquides et de l'utilisation par les non-fumeurs et les adolescents, qui sont à la base des restrictions imposées, et qui ne sont supportés par aucune preuve scientifique, et donc inappropriées.

Vous dites par exemple que "les e-cigarettes avec une telle concentration seuil de nicotine ou plus faible conviennent à la majorité des fumeurs" et que "déjà à l'heure actuelle nous voyons que leur consommation n'est pas limitée aux fumeurs réguliers", mais il n'existe, à notre connaissance, aucune preuve scientifique de ces affirmations.

En l'état, la législation proposée cherche à éviter des dangers négligeables et pour la plupart imaginaires, mais menace de sous-estimer des bénéfices bien plus substantiels et bien plus probables.

Signataires (incluant les déclarations de conflits d'intérêts, voir ci-dessous)

______________________

Dear Mr. Seychell

We do appreciate your response to our letter, and we thank you for your quick reply.

However, we do not think that our concerns were addressed. The legislation remains based on misunderstood or misinterpreted evidence and imposes restrictions which are not justifiable. A legislation that regulates e-cigarettes in a more restrictive way than tobacco cigarettes that are much more harmful by any standard of measurement will be damaging for public health.

We accept your clarification about the consistent dosing as concerning nicotine content in vapour rather than nicotine delivery to users as the wording implies. The wording could be made clearer.

Considering the rest of your response, this ignores our arguments that the statements concerning nicotine toxicity, nicotine threshold and use by non-smokers or adolescents, which form the basis of the proposed restrictions, are not substantiated by evidence and are therefore inappropriate.

You state that 'electronic cigarettes with such a nicotine threshold or below help the vast majority of smokers' and 'already today we see that their consumption is no longer limited to established smokers' but there is no evidence for these assertions that we are aware of.

As it stands, the proposed legislation is aiming to prevent negligible and mostly imaginary dangers while threatening to undermine much more likely and much more substantial benefits.

Yours sincerely,

Signatories

As per your request, please find below the CoI of the signatories.

Professor Jean-François ETTER, PhD
Institut de santé globale, Faculté de médecine, Université de Genève, Switzerland.
I was reimbursed by an e-cigarette manufacturer for travels to London and to China, but was not paid for these talks.

Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD
Researcher, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece
Researcher, University Hospital Gathuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
I have no financial interests in any e-cigarette company. Some of my studies were performed using funds provided to the institution by e-cigarette companies. My salary is paid by a scholarship grant from the Hellenic Society of Cardiology.

Professor Peter Hajek, PhD
Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
I have no links with any e-cigarette companies.

Dr. Jacques Le Houezec, PhD
Consultant in Public Health, Tobacco dependence, Rennes, France
& Honorary Lecturer, UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, University of Nottingham, UK.
I have received no financial support from e-cigarette companies, nor received any other significant benefit (e.g. travel etc).

Dr. Hayden McRobbie, MB ChB PhD
Reader in Public Health Interventions, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
I have received no personal financial or non-financial support from any companies for research on e-cigarettes. PGM International provided products at no cost for the public-good funded ASCEND e-cigarette trial and I have undertaken research on Ruyan e-cigarettes, for which the University of Auckland was funded by Health New Zealand, independently of Ruyan.

Professor Chris Bullen, MBChB, PhD
Director, The National Institute for Health Innovation, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
I have received no personal financial or non-financial support from any companies for research on e-cigarettes. PGM International provided products at no cost for the public-good funded ASCEND e-cigarette trial and I have undertaken research on Ruyan e-cigarettes, for which the University of Auckland was funded by Health New Zealand, independently of Ruyan.

Professor Lynn T. Kozlowski, PhD
Dean, School of Public Health and Health Professions, Professor of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, USA.
I have not undertaken research, provided consulting or received funding/travel support from electronic cigarettes companies.

Dr. Mitchell Nides, PhD
President, Los Angeles Clinical Trials, Director, Picture Quitting, the Entertainment Industry's, Quit Smoking Program, Burbank, CA 91505, USA.
I have received research funding from NJOY Inc, Scottsdale, AZ.

Professor Dimitris Kouretas, MD
Professor and Deputy Rector University of Thessaly, Greece.
The University of Thessaly signed a research proposal between University and The Greek Chamber of e-cigarettes importers to test the toxicity of the liquids that are sold in the Greek market. I have not received money from any e-cigarette company.

Professor Riccardo Polosa, MD, PhD
Director of the Institute for Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, University of Catania, Italy.
I have been serving as a consultant for Arbi Group Srl (Milano, Italy), the Italian distributor for 'Categoria' e-Cigarettes.

Dr. Karl Fagerström, PhD
President, Fagerström Consulting AB, Vaxholm, Sweden.
I have no links with any e-cigarette companies.

Professor Martin Jarvis, Dsc
Emeritus Professsor of Health Psychology, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, UK.
I have no financial links with any electronic cigarette company, and have not consulted for or received travel support or research resources from any such company.

Dr. Lynne E. Dawkins, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, School of Psychology, University of East London, Stratford, London, UK.
I have no personal financial or non-financial interests in the e-cigarette industry. My university (University of East London, UEL) has received funding from Skycig Ltd for a research project that I co-ordinated as well as travel funds and hospitality from Totally Wicked and E-Lites.

Dr. Pasquale Caponnetto, Assistant Professor, Researcher
Centro per la Prevenzione e Cura del Tabagismo, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria “Policlinico-V. Emanuele”, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy.
PC declares no conflict of interest.

Professor Jonathan Foulds PhD
Professor of Public Health Sciences & Psychiatry, Penn State University, College of Medicine, Cancer Institute, Cancer Control Program, Hershey, PA 17033-0850, USA.
I have not received any financial compensation of any kind from an electronic cigarette company, nor received any other significant benefit (e.g. travel etc).

Mise à jour du 23/01/2014

Cette déclaration a été commentée dans le New Scientist du 23 janvier.

16 Janvier 2014

La communauté scientifique souhaite que la recherche sur la cigarette électronique soit correctement interprétée et poursuit ses efforts pour apporter des informations fiables pour la réglementation. Un groupe de scientifiques spécialisés dans le domaine du tabac et de la e-cigarette ont envoyé ce matin une lettre adressée au Commissaire à la santé européen, Mr Tonio Borg, ainsi qu'à un groupe de Députés européens concernés par cette réglementation. Cette lettre explique en détail, argumenté par des études publiées, les erreurs commises à propos de la e-cigarette, dans le projet actuel de la Directive européenne sur les produits du tabac.

For an English version see here : http://nicotinepolicy.net/n-s-p/672-scientific-errors-in-proposed-eu-tobacco-products-directive

Für die deutsche Übersetzung finden Sie hier: http://blog.rursus.de/2014/01/fehler-in-der-tabakrichtlinie-fuehrende-wissenschaftler-schreiben-an-die-eu/

Versione italiana qui: http://www.liaf-onlus.org/page.php?id=156-gli-esperti-invitano-l-eu-a-tener-conto-delle-evidenze-scientifiche-per-una-regolamentazione-equilibrata-delle-e-cig

Les erreurs scientifiques de la Directive tabac européenne

16 Janvier 2014

Mesdames, Messieurs,

Nous faisons partie des scientifiques réputés dans le domaine du tabac et de la cigarette électronique (e-cigarette), et dont les recherches ont été citées par la Commission européenne et d'autres institutions impliquées dans le contrôle du tabac. Nous comprenons que la Commission et les Députés européens veulent s'assurer que les fumeurs qui veulent passer à l'e-cigarette puissent avoir facilement accès à des e-cigarettes les plus sûres possible. La e-cigarette devenant de plus en plus populaire, il y a un impératif éthique et intellectuel à construire une législation basée sur des données scientifiques solides. L'enjeu est important car le tabac tue 700 000 citoyens européens chaque année. Plusieurs des considérants et le contenu de l'Article 18 de la Directive sur les produits du tabac (DPT) concernant l'e-cigarette ne sont pas basés sur une interprétation correcte des données scientifiques . Cette lettre a été rédigée dans le but de vous aider à comprendre les résultats scientifiques en lien avec le texte actuel de la DPT.

1. La comparaison du mode d'administration de la nicotine par le tabac et la cigarette électronique dans la DPT

Texte de la DPT: Le considérant c) pour l'Article 18 dit: “Les liquides contenant de la nicotine ne peuvent être autorisés selon cette Directive que si leur concentration en nicotine ne dépasse pas 20 mg/ml. Ce niveau de concentration est similaire à la dose délivrée par une cigarette standard durant le même temps d'utilisation.”

Ce que dit la science: La Commission cite (1) les articles du Dr Farsalinos (2,3) pour justifier le fait que 20mg/ml de nicotine équivaut au rendement d'une cigarette. Le Dr Farsalinos a écrit à la Commission pour dire que ces résultats avaient été mal interprétés. Ses recherches, au contraire, montrent qu'un e-liquide à 20 mg/ml produit moins d'un tiers de la nicotine délivrée par une cigarette (4,5). Il faut en fait 50mg/ml pour obtenir à peu près l'équivalent d'une cigarette. Toutes les autres études publiées confirment cela (6-9). Environ 20 à 30% des utilisateurs de cigarette électronique utilisent des liquides de plus de 20mg/ml (8,10). Ces liquides plus concentrés sont souvent utilisés par les fumeurs les plus dépendants, ayant un risque tabagique plus élevé, et qui peuvent le plus bénéficier de l'utilisation de la cigarette électronique. La majorité de ces fumeurs très dépendants ont besoin de plus de 20mg/ml pour passer de la cigarette au vapotage.

2. Les assertions de la DPT sur la toxicité de la nicotine

Texte de la DPT: Le considérant f) pour l'Article 18 dit: “Etant donné que la nicotine est une substance toxique…” et la Commission assure que “La dose létale aiguë de nicotine chez un adulte est estimée à environ 60 mg” (11)

Ce que dit la science: L'une des justifications pour limiter la concentration de nicotine dans les cigarettes électroniques à 20mg/ml est justifiée par l'assertion que des concentrations plus élevées seraient dangereuses. Ce n'est pas le cas. Des personnes ayant ingéré des doses 60 fois plus élevées n'ont eu que des nausées et des vomissements, sans autres effets indésirables (12). L'assertion par la Commission que 60mg de nicotine est une dose létale provient d'auto-expériences douteuses rapportées dans un livre de pharmacologie de 1856, et n'a jamais été remise en cause depuis (13). L'intoxication par le tabac, les substituts nicotiniques ou les liquides pour cigarette électronique sont extrêmement rares. De plus il n'y a aucun risque de sur-dosage par la voie pulmonaire. De même qu'avec les cigarettes conventionnelles, une dose trop forte provoque des nausées , et la personne arrête d'inhaler bien avant un quelconque sur-dosage ou des effets délétères (pour une revue de la question, voir 14). Des bouchons avec une sécurité enfant sont suffisants pour éviter que de jeunes enfants n'avalent du e-liquide.

3. L'exigence de la DPT pour une délivrance consistante de la nicotine

Texte de la DPT: L'Article 18.3 dit “Les Etats membres doivent s'assurer que:… (f) les cigarettes électroniques délivrent la dose de nicotine de façon consistante”

Ce que dit la science: Le concept médical de “délivrance consistante” est inapproprié pour un produit de consommation courante utilisé à volonté. Les fumeurs, les utilisateurs de tabac non fumé, ou de cigarette électronique déterminent spontanément la quantité de nicotine qu'ils absorbent selon leurs besoins individuels ou temporels. Les utilisateurs d'un même type de cigarette électronique peuvent avoir des différences en termes d'absorption qui varient d'un facteur 20 (4,5,15). Les contrôles de qualité des différentes marques est nécessaire afin d'assurer une consistance dans la quantité de nicotine contenue dans les e-liquides, mais demander une consistance dans la délivrance de la nicotine par la cigarette électronique n'a aucun sens. Il n'existe aucune exigence de ce type en ce qui concerne les cigarettes ou le tabac non fumé.

4. L'exigence de la DPT que les fabricants de cigarettes électroniques fournissent des données sur l'absorption de nicotine pour chaque produit

Texte de la DPT: L'Article 18.2 exige que les fabricants notifient 6 mois avant la mise sur le marché d'un nouveau produit ou d'une modification substantielle d'un produit existant, en particulier : “l'information sur la dose de nicotine et son absorption “

Ce que dit la science: Comme développé ci-dessus, les données sur la délivrance de nicotine n'apporteront pas de bénéfice au consommateur, mais impliqueraient des coûts élevés inutiles. Aucune exigence de ce type n'existe pour les fabricants de tabac, et cela, avec les autres exigences réglementaires proposées, ne ferait qu'avantager le marché des cigarettes, bien plus dangereuses pour la santé.

5. L'exigence de la DPT de limiter les fioles de e-liquide à 10ml, et les réservoirs à 2ml

Texte de la DPT Article 18.3 a): “les e-liquides contenant de la nicotine ne peuvent être mis sur le marché que dans des fioles de recharge n'excédant pas un volume de 10 ml, des cigarettes électroniques jetables, ou des cartouches à usage unique. Les cartouches et les réservoirs ne doivent pas excéder un volume de 2 ml”

Ce que dit la science: Cette proposition semble motivée par la préoccupation sur la toxicité potentielle des e-liquides, ce qui est basé sur une mauvaise information (voir ci-dessus). Les cigarettes électroniques n'ont jusqu'à présent pas fait preuve d'un tel danger (16). Au niveau mondial, un seul cas fatal a été rapporté chez une enfant ayant avalé le contenu de e-liquide d'un flacon ouvert (17). La proposition de la Commission de n'accepter que de petits contenants ne peut que multiplier les manipulations de e-liquide, créant ainsi un risque plus grand d'accidents et augmentant le coût pour les utilisateurs. L'alternative utilisée pour les produits chimiques ou ménagers, comme l'eau de javel , est que le risque est diminué par le sens commun, les avertissements sur les emballages et les bouchons avec une sécurité enfant sur les contenants.

6. L'hypothèse de la DPT selon laquelle la cigarette électronique serait une porte d'entrée dans le tabagisme

Texte de la DPT Considérant h) de l'Article 18 dit: “Les cigarettes électroniques peuvent devenir une porte d'entrée dans la dépendance à la nicotine, et finalement dans le tabagisme, car elles miment et normalisent l'acte de fumer. Pour cette raison, il faut adopter une position restrictive en regard de leur publicité.”

Ce que dit la science: L'effet de porte d'entrée dans le tabagisme est donné en support d'une approche restrictive. Les données existantes ne suggèrent pourtant pas que les cigarettes électroniques ont un tel effet. L'utilisation quotidienne de cigarette électronique par des non-fumeurs a été évaluée dans deux études, qui n'ont pas révélé une telle utilisation (18, 19). Aux USA, 1 à 2% des enfant ont expérimenté la cigarette électronique, mais aucun n'est devenu utilisateur régulier (20). Au contraire, 54% des adolescents européens de 15-16 ans ont essayé au moins une fois de fumer des cigarettes, et 88% des fumeurs réguliers adultes ont commencé de fumer avant l'âge de 18 ans (21, 22). Les preuves sont donc plutôt pour une porte de sortie du tabagisme, puisqu'un certain nombre de fumeurs de tous âges réduit ou arrête sa consommation de tabac lorsqu'il commence à utiliser une cigarette électronique. Cependant, l'utilisation chez les adolescents non-fumeurs devra être suivie de près dans le futur.

En conclusion, les cigarettes électroniques présentent un bon profil de sécurité et pourraient devenir une porte de sortie, plutôt qu'une porte d'entrée dans le tabagisme. Les utilisateurs devraient pouvoir identifier le produit et le dosage qui leur convient, plutôt que ce soit la réglementation qui décide pour eux ce qu'ils doivent utiliser. Une réglementation basée sur les preuves et proportionnée doit être mise en œuvre, et toutes les parties prenantes doivent être impliquées dans ce processus de réglementation. Si elles sont réglementées de façon appropriée, les cigarettes électroniques ont le potentiel de faire disparaître les cigarettes de tabac et de sauver des millions de vies dans le monde. Une réglementation excessive, au contraire, ne ferait que contribuer à maintenir les niveaux existants de maladies, de morts et de coûts de santé dus au tabagisme.

Références

1) European Commission (2013) Fact sheet on E-Cigarettes http://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/docs/fs_ecigarettes_en.pdf

2) Farsalinos et al. Evaluation of Electronic Cigarette Use (Vaping) Topography and Estimation of Liquid Consumption. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013;10: 2500-14.

3) Farsalinos et al. Evaluating nicotine levels selection and patterns of electronic cigarette use in a group of ‘Vapers’ who had achieved complete substitution of smoking. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment. 2013; 7:139-146.

4) Farsalinos K. et al. Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: comparison between first and new generation devices. Presented to the FDA, December 19, 2013 (submitted for publication).

5) Farsalinos K. et al. Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: comparison between experienced and naive users. Presented to the FDA, December 19, 2013.

6) Vansickel AR, Eissenberg T. Electronic Cigarettes: Effective Nicotine Delivery After Acute Administration. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2012.

7) Hajek P, Goniewicz M, Phillips A, Myers-Smith K, West O, McRobbie H. Nicotine intake from electronic cigarettes and effect of practice: Report to the MHRA. London: Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, 2013.

8) Dawkins L, Corcoran O. Acute electronic cigarette use: nicotine delivery and subjective effects in regular users. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014 Jan;231(2):401-7.

9) Nides MA, Leischow SJ, Bhatter M, Simmons M. Nicotine Blood Levels and Short-term Smoking Reduction with an Electronic Nicotine Delivery System. American Journal of Health Behavior 2014; 38(2): 265-74.

10) Etter, J. F. & Bullen, C. (2011) Electronic cigarette: users profile, utilization, satisfaction and perceived efficacy, Addiction, 106, 2017-28.

11) SCENIHR Scientific Committee, 2010 p 29 http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/tobacco/documents/addictiveness_and_attractiveness_of_tobacco_additives.pdf

12) Christensen LB, van't Veen T, Bang J. Three cases of attempted suicide by ingestion of nicotine liquid used in e-cigarettes, Clinical Toxicology. 2013; 51: 290.Clinical Toxicology vol. 51 no. 4 2013

13) Mayer B. How much nicotine kills a human? Tracing back the generally accepted lethal dose to dubious self-experiments in the nineteenth century. Arch Toxicol. 2014 Jan;88(1):5-7.

14) See the literature review on slides 10 and 11 at http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/infozone/Dr-Jacques-Le-Houezec

15) Etter JF. Levels of saliva cotinine in electronic cigarette users, Addiction. 2014 Jan 8.

16) Polosa R, Rodu B, Caponnetto P, Maglia M, Raciti C. A fresh look at tobacco harm reduction: the case for the electronic cigarette. Harm Reduct J. 2013 Oct 4;10(1):19.

17) Winer S (2013). Police investigating toddler’s death from nicotine overdose, Times of Israel, May 29.

18) Douptcheva N, Gmel G, Studer J, Deline S, Etter JF. Use of electronic cigarettes among young Swiss men. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2013; 67: 1075-1076.

19) Action On Smoking And Health (2013). ASH fact sheet on the use of e-cigarettes in Great Britain (London, ASH). http://www.ash.org.uk/information/facts-and-stats/ash-briefings

20) CDC (2013). Notes from the field: electronic cigarette use among middle and high school students - United States, 2011-2012, MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 62, 729-30. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6235a6.htm

21) The 2011 ESPAD Report. Substance Use Among Students in 36 European Countries.
http://www.espad.org/Uploads/ESPAD_reports/2011/The_2011_ESPAD_Report_FULL_2012_10_29.pdf

22) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm

Signataires

Professor Jean-François ETTER, PhD, Associate Professor, Privat docent
Institut de santé globale, Faculté de médecine, Université de Genève, 1 rue Michel-Servet, CH-1211 Geneve 4, Switzerland.

Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD
Researcher, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece
Researcher, University Hospital Gathuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.

Professor Peter Hajek, PhD
Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary, University of London Turner Street, London E1 2AD, UK.

Dr Jacques Le Houezec, PhD
Consultant in Public Health, Tobacco dependence, Rennes, France
& Honorary Lecturer, UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, University of Nottingham, UK.

Dr Hayden McRobbie, MB ChB PhD
Reader in Public Health Interventions, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, UK.

Professor Chris Bullen, MBChB, PhD
Director, The National Institute for Health Innovation, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Professor Lynn T. Kozlowski, PhD
Dean, School of Public Health and Health Professions, Professor of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, USA.

Dr Mitchell Nides, PhD
President, Los Angeles Clinical Trials, Director, Picture Quitting, the Entertainment Industry's, Quit Smoking Program, 4116 W. Magnolia Blvd. Suite 100, Burbank, CA 91505, USA.

Professor Dimitris Kouretas, MD
Professor and Deputy Rector University of Thessaly, Greece.

Professor Riccardo Polosa, MD, PhD
Director of the Institute for Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, University of Catania, Italy.

Dr Karl Fagerström, PhD
President, Fagerström Consulting AB, Vaxholm, Sweden.

Professor Martin Jarvis, Dsc
Emeritus Professsor of Health Psychology, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, UK.

Dr Lynne E. Dawkins, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, School of Psychology, University of East London, Stratford Campus, Romford Road, Stratford, London, E15 4LZ, UK.

Dr Pasquale Caponnetto, Assistant Professor, Researcher
Centro per la Prevenzione e Cura del Tabagismo, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria “Policlinico-V. Emanuele”, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy.

Professor Jonathan Foulds, PhD
Professor of Public Health Sciences & Psychiatry, Penn State University, College of Medicine, Cancer Institute, Cancer Control Program. T3428, CH69, 500 University Drive, P.O. Box 850 Hershey, PA 17033-0850, USA.