The French Observatory for Drugs and Addictive Tendencies (OFDT) has reported a significant escalation in vaping among high school students, detailing a stark contrast to declining traditional smoking rates. This shift, highlighted in the EnCLASS 2024 survey, reveals that e-cigarettes are increasingly becoming the exclusive or primary nicotine product for French youth.
While middle school (collège) experimentation dropped from 26.8% in 2014 to 19.0% in 2024, high schools (lycée) tell a different story. Between 2015 and 2024, high school experimentation rose from 35.1% to 46.0%, with girls (48.7%) outpacing boys (43.2%).
The data reveals a stark divide in consumption habits based on the type of educational institution, with vocational students showing significantly higher adoption rates.
| High School Type | Experimentation (2015) | Experimentation (2024) | Daily Use (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General & Technological (LEGT) | 34.2% | 41.5% | 5.3% |
| Vocational (LP) | 36.8% | 58.7% | 11.1% |
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A major driver of this trend was the introduction of disposable e-cigarettes, or "puffs," to the French market in September 2021. Although these devices were officially banned in February 2025, the 2024 data captures their peak influence. Last year, 39.4% of high schoolers had tried a puff, representing 85.5% of all high school vape experimenters. Furthermore, 16.6% of high schoolers exclusively tried puffs without ever using a refillable device.
The EnCLASS survey also indicates a fundamental shift in youth nicotine consumption. Vaping is no longer primarily a substitute for smoking; it is an independent habit.
- First Contact: Among high schoolers who have tried both products, 39.6% tested e-cigarettes before traditional tobacco in 2024, up from 28.9% in 2018.
- Exclusive Vaping: Daily exclusive e-cigarette use rose from 0.8% in 2018 to 4.0% in 2024.
- Declining Smoking: Conversely, daily exclusive tobacco smoking plummeted from 15.5% of high schoolers in 2018 to just 2.9% in 2024.
The OFDT concludes that the current landscape of e-cigarette use in France is not acting as a smoking cessation tool for teenagers. Instead, driven by youth-targeted marketing, it has established itself as a complementary or entirely exclusive product.
- Trends in vaping among middle and high school students between 2014 and 2024, OFDT, Trends No. 172 , April 2026
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