Health Minister Francois Braun said Sunday he was in favor of banning "puffs", disposable electronic cigarettes popular with young people, but plans to open to pharmacists the prescription of certain nicotine substitutes in the form of electronic cigarettes. "We must ban puffs" which "in no way allow to get out of smoking," said François Braun to the Grand jury RTL-LCI-Le Figaro, while deputies hope to vote this ban in September.
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On the other hand, nicotine substitutes to quit tobacco, yes they must be maintained, "defended the minister. "It is a prescription, moreover I plan to open this possibility of prescription also to pharmacists who are confronted with these smokers who want to quit," he said. This prescription will exclude puffs, "these colorful products" that "bring young people to tobacco" according to him, but will concern "nicotine substitutes with these electronic cigarettes", which they "allow to gradually reduce its consumption of nicotine and stop".
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Asked about a possible refund, François Braun replied that the subject was "on the table as part of the next anti-smoking plan" of the government, planned for the period 2023-2028. He also said he wanted to tax "all tobacco products such as heating or chewing tobacco in the same way" as the pack of cigarettes. The policy of increasing the price of tobacco led by Emmanuel Macron since his election in 2017 could continue. "I do not forbid myself to continue this increase," assured the Minister of Health. This hypothesis is "on the table" of the discussions of the next Social Security financing bill.
