The “Tobacco-free Me (s)” ended on December 30st. This initiative aimed to try to support smokers wishing to quit for at least XNUMX days. If the participatory assessment is rather positive for this first edition, the qualitative assessment is itself more mixed. In question: the absence of products without combustion like the electronic cigarette, put aside by the government operation.
A communication success
Tobacco Free Self (s) is a new initiative put in place by Health Minister Marisol Touraine to help smokers who want to quit smoking. After a month of state action, and public spending 10 million, the time is now in the balance sheet.
According to the Ministry of Health, this " public health challenge is a success ". The initiative has succeeded in mobilizing not less than 180 155 participants. In addition, more 620 000 smoking cessation kits have been distributed. These, available in pharmacies or online, contain a preparation booklet, an agenda of 30 days with daily tips and a disk to calculate the savings, depending on its consumption.
The operation eventually led to an increase in the interest in traditional prevention deployed by the Government. Thus, the number of visitors to the tobacco-info-service.fr website, the main source of awareness of smoking cessation, has been multiplied by 4 and the Tobacco Info service phone line has received more than 15 000 calls on the ego period. (s) without tobacco. In addition, more than 72 000 smokers have registered on the application of this service.
The decried absence of the electronic cigarette
However, while the turnout appears positive, this first of the tobacco-free month (s) also left a lot of room for qualitative improvements in future releases. We could, for example, deplore the lack of availability of kits, and sometimes crazy advice, such as the trick of a glass of water or a straw (the kit advised smokers having trouble getting rid of the gestures of smoking to blow in a straw). More generally, it is the exclusion of smokeless tobacco products that has most often been singled out. Experts regretted that the e-cigarette and other smokeless tobacco inhalers were not included.
Recall that for real " addicted To the cigarette, to stop smoking the first time is very difficult. according to statistics published by American and British researchersless than 5% of the population would succeed in banning tobacco at the first attempt. With this in mind, e-cigarettes and other products without combustion are a very suitable way of transition before total withdrawal - which eliminates the risk of relapse.
While it is difficult to say that it poses no risk, the electronic cigarette nevertheless allows a significant reduction of the harmful consequences on health. In fact, the reduction in the risk of cigarette-related diseases would be in the range of 95%, according to research conducted by the British organization Public Health England.
The state struggles to recognize the effectiveness of products without combustion
The first scientific congress on e-cigarettes was held in La Rochelle on 1 last December, in the wake of the ego (s) without tobacco. Professionals from 14 different nationalities took stock of the latest advances in research in the field, sharing the data they had collected. The assessment is very encouraging, according to Le Figaro, and the involvement of nicotine in the occurrence of cancer has once again been ruled out.
Recently the French state has slightly changed its position on the electronic cigarette. He now supports her lip service. Thus, Tobacco Info Service recognizes that " according to the latest work of the High Council of Public Health, the electronic cigarette can be a help ". However, she is the great forgotten of this self (s) without tobacco. And this, even as the country which is at the initiative of the measure the United Kingdom has chosen to give it a prominent place. The ego (s) without tobacco is indeed not a French innovation. It was inspired by an initiative across the Channel: " Stoptober Has been implemented in the UK for a number of years and has advised from the outset the use of non-combustion products. The choice of the Minister of Health to dismiss all the sector was in France strongly criticized by many experts. It remains to be hoped that future editions will be more inclusive, and thus probably more effective.
Source : blogs.mediapart.fr
