Cigarette packs at €25 by 2032?: "Tobacconists are subjected to punitive taxation"

While a Green Party amendment proposed increasing tobacco prices by 10% annually to reach €25 per pack by 2032, tobacconists are once again sounding the alarm. The amendment was ultimately rejected, but tensions remain high as budget debates resume in the National Assembly on Tuesday, November 4th.

For Serdar Kaya, president of tobacconists in France, the situation is becoming untenable: "There is a lack of awareness, it is urgent to ask the right questions. We talk about behavioral taxation, but consumer behavior has changed. Many obtain their supplies differently, sometimes on an illegal market, from smuggling or counterfeit goods," he laments in Estelle Midi .

According to him, this policy "penalizes tobacconists who are subjected to punitive taxation." He argues for "moving in the right direction, offering alternatives": vaping, appropriate training, and business diversification. "Our colleagues are being attacked by a punitive tax policy. We need to reduce price discrepancies and work on European thresholds."

"In the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, consumers are returning to buy in France because a pack of cigarettes is now more expensive in Belgium, at €11.50," he explained this Friday on RMC radio. The primary motivation for buying tobacco abroad remains price, for 74% of respondents: a pack of cigarettes costs between €12 and €13 in France.

This anger is fueled by the latest figures published by customs: 17.7% of tobacco consumed in France in 2023 was not purchased from a French tobacconist, representing an estimated tax loss of €4.3 billion. The cause is the rise in cross-border purchases, which alone account for nearly 80% of tobacco escaping national taxation.

"I've been smoking for 45 years and I'm in favor of a €100 pack," testifies Thérèse-Anne.

Deliveries to border departments fell by more than 45% between 2016 and 2023, compared to less than 25% elsewhere. "It's a game of tax competition on a European scale," summarizes Christian Ben Lakhdar, co-author of the customs report. "France is raising its prices faster than its neighbors, who are taking advantage of this situation."

For smokers, the situation is just as bleak. Yannick, a chef, doesn't hide his exasperation: "Tobacco is a drug. With very average purchasing power, we can't make ends meet anymore. A pack costs around 12 euros, and when there are two smokers at home, it adds up to a hefty expense."

"We try to find alternatives, but there's no real help. Patches are just a smokescreen. We smoke one and a half to two packs a day, so we buy from Spain, Belgium, Turkey… These aren't the right solutions, but we don't have a choice." "I've been smoking for 45 years and I'm in favor of a €100 pack," says Thérèse-Anne, speaking to Estelle Midi .

For him, "the real problem is the lack of effective support for quitting." "It's an illness, and the support offered to us is not suitable," he sighs.