With the appointment of Édouard Philippe as Prime Minister of the Macron presidency, a new government should be appointed today. It is therefore time to take stock of Marisol Touraine, who remained Minister of Health and Social Affairs for five years, the one who led a real crusade against the electronic cigarette is now facing the exit and as much to say that no vapoteur does not will mourn his departure.
THE VAPOTEERS TRUST MARISOL TOURAINE AND HAVE EXPECTATIONS!
If we talk about the balance sheet of Marisol Touraine to vapers, three words will emerge: Waiting, disappointment and anger. While the Minister of Health had made the fight against smoking her battle horse, the booming electronic cigarette quickly became a problem to be treated. In 2013, Marisol Touraine declared that she wanted to rely on the European Parliament to regulate electronic cigarettes, declaring: " I do not want to trivialize the electronic cigarette. Obviously the electronic cigarette is less harmful than the cigarette itself. Nobody disputes it."
But this almost optimistic speech quickly gave way to more disturbing statements: “We do not know what the impact of long-term use of this electronic cigarette is and no one today ventures to explain that it is safe. There are people who do not smoke and who say to themselves “after all, electronic cigarettes are chic, it can be risk-free”, and who will become smokers because precisely there is addiction to nicotine. . Declared Marisol Touraine in September 2013.
A few months later, the concern of vapers is confirmed with a new statement from Marisol Touraine: " There are times when you have to find compromises and for the electronic cigarette, I am happy to see that there is a special status, it is not a drug, it is not a tobacco product, and that's not an innocuous product. It must therefore be possible to control both its sale and its use.". At this time, many are satisfied with this "special" status announced for the e-cigarette which would not be included in tobacco products or drugs.
In 2014, in a letter published on its website, Marisol Touraine declares: « One thing is certain: the electronic cigarette is less harmful than the cigarette and can help weaning. I say yes unreservedly to the vaper, when it can help to end the tobacco!“, It is then expected that the personal vaporizer will be put forward in a context of reducing the risks of smoking.
But in reality, the Minister of Health has already planned to regulate the electronic cigarette and does not want to let go. We then see a large number of health specialists (Gérard Mathern, Jean-François Etter, Jacques Le Houezec) step up to denounce this counterproductive choice. Eric Favereau and Stephane Guillon denounce in the newspaper « Libération »All the attacks of Marisol Touraine against the electronic cigarette.
At this time, the electronic cigarette begins to be talked about and many doctors including Philippe Presles demand that the precautionary principle be applied for the e-cigarette. But the health law is on the tip of its nose and Marisol Touraine seems determined to tackle vaping. In June 2014, the Minister of Health spoke about Europe 1 the gateway effect and e-cigarette advertising: " Reduce advertising and make sure that the electronic cigarette is not allowed too broadly ... otherwise, it amounts to inciting to cigarette".
THE EUROPEAN TOBACCO DIRECTIVE: BETWEEN DECEPTION AND ANGER!
While in 2014, 7 to 9 million French people had already experimented with electronic cigarettes and our country had between 1,1 and 1,9 million regular vapers, the transposition of the European directive on tobacco is announced for May 2016 by Marisol Touraine. A European citizens' initiative called EFVI is born to fight the tobacco directive but requiring 1 million signatures it will be a failure.
If the Minister of Health prefers to speak of a framework rather than a ban, most vapers are disappointed by this lack of support from the minister. For Marisol Touraine, the supervision does not prevent vapers from using e-cigarettes. Aiduce tries in vain to meet the minister, a demonstration is organized to fight against article 53 of the health law allowing the French government to apply the Directive on Tobacco Products by prescription but nothing helps. While Marisol Touraine had declared that the e-cigarette had a "special" status, it seems that it is on the verge of becoming a simple tobacco product.
The vapoteurs regroup and try one last blow with the project « 1000 messages for the vape On the site of Marisol Touraine. A book is published by Sébastien Beziau (Vap'you) and is sent to the government, to Marisol Touraine as well as to the press but the long-awaited reaction will not come! The report of Public Health England (PHE) announcing the e-cigarette as 95% less harmful than smoking should have made our Minister of Health think but it was not.
Finally the health law adopted, the European directive on tobacco was transposed in May 2016 prohibiting advertising for electronic cigarettes and limiting the freedom of vapers. Anger is total in the vape industry and vapers have a bitter taste in their quests to stop smoking and especially to reduce risks.
ONE WAITING: THAT MARISOL TOURAINE LEAVE HIS POST!
The battle lost, the war was not over yet! The association " SOVAPE »Appeared and tried to invite Marisol Touraine to the 1st Vape Summit who ultimately did not respond to the invitation. This one will not come either to the second edition which took place a few weeks ago. The AIDUCE (Independent Association of Electronic Cigarette Users) will even file with the Minister, a gracious appeal against certain provisions of the 19 ordinance may 2016 on vaping products.
Marisol Touraine having succeeded in regulating the electronic cigarette will turn to the neutral package and to other causes while returning from time to time on the subject of vaping as in March 2017 where the Minister declares not to forget the regulation of e-cigarettes in Overseas.
Like Maggie De Block, his Belgian counterpart, Marisol Touraine will have succeeded in revolutionizing the vaping industry in the wrong direction. While our Minister of Health had everything to make the electronic cigarette an effective risk reduction tool against smoking, it will have chosen to put it aside and regulate it while limiting access to smokers.
Today, it is with relief that vapers will see Marisol Touraine leave the government, the next Minister of Health will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders and we hope that he will live up to our expectations. The personal vaporizer is a real alternative to smoking, a real risk reduction tool and should be considered as such. Regarding Marisol Touraine, she could well come back with the movement " Working During the legislative elections.
