Tobacco Price Hikes: Attitudes and Motivation Among French Smokers to Quit in 2022

Background – In France, tobacco taxes have been raised on several occasions as part of national tobacco control plans, and have since remained stable amid the COVID-19 crisis. The objective of this study is to report on recent changes in French public opinion regarding tobacco tax increases and the motivation they generate among smokers to quit. Methods – The data come from a telephone survey conducted in 2022 by Santé publique France. The randomly selected sample included 3,229 individuals aged 18 to 75 living in mainland France, including Corsica.Results – In 2022, nearly half (48.8%) of those aged 18–75 believed that the increase in tobacco taxes was justified, a proportion that remained stable compared to 2018. This proportion varied, ranging from 19.4% among daily smokers—down from 23.4% in 2018—to 64.0% among those who had never smoked (62.4% in 2018, a non-significant difference). One-third of smokers reported that tobacco price increases had motivated them to quit smoking, a decrease compared to 2018. One-third of former smokers who had quit within the past 5 years reported being motivated by tobacco price increases. The likelihood of being motivated to quit smoking for this reason was higher among smokers with the lowest incomes. Conclusion – Tobacco price increases appear to have an impact on the motivation to quit smoking, particularly among smokers from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. However, a decline in these indicators was observed among smokers, which could be linked to the smaller increase in tobacco prices over the past two years.

Author(s): Pasquereau Anne, Guignard Romain, Andler Raphaël, Nguyen-Thanh Viêt

Publishing year: 2026

Pages: 106-114

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2026, n° 7, p. 106-114

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