A third of smokers say the rising cost of tobacco is making them consider quitting. But behind this figure, it is often personal triggers that really lead to stubbing out the last cigarette.
“Price is clearly a driving force but it is not the main one for me. » At 28, Laura does not hide the fact that the rise in cigarette packets has had an impact on her thinking. But the real reason that pushed her to stop is elsewhere: her health.
Like her, many smokers explain that the decision to put out their last cigarette is often linked to a personal trigger. In a survey published on March 10 by Public Health France on smokers’ opinions and motivation to quit, a third said that price increases had encouraged them to consider quitting. A comparable proportion is observed among ex-smokers who stopped less than five years ago.
In France, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable mortality, with around 75,000 deaths per year. However, quitting is not easy: although almost two thirds of smokers say they want to quit, only 2 to 3% succeed each year according to data from Public Health France.
The weight of health
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Shortness of breath, fatigue, illness or simple fear of long-term consequences can act like an electric shock. Laura experienced it. “I have health problems with being overweight and smoking clearly didn’t help me on a daily basis,” she says. For a long time, the young woman knew that cigarettes didn’t help anything, but she continued anyway.
The trigger came from a banal event: the breakdown of the elevator in his building. “For three weeks, I had to climb five flights of stairs every day. I was really exhausted and my heart was racing too much,” she recalls. Faced with this shortness of breath that has become impossible to ignore, she decides to stop. Today, it has been five months since she last smoked. “I hope I don’t start again…”
Price, a factor… but not always decisive
However, regular increases in the price of cigarettes have played an important role in the decline in smoking. The package has exceeded 10 euros in recent years, a level never reached before. This strategy aims in particular to discourage young people from starting to smoke.
But for smokers already established in their consumption, the price often acts more as an additional element than as the main trigger. In many journeys, the decision to stop is rather the result of an accumulation: concerns about health, pressure from those around you, breathing difficulties or the desire to regain control of your daily life.
Another development: society’s view of cigarettes. Today, a large majority of smokers recognize that their loved ones disapprove of their consumption. Some smokers say they feel uncomfortable announcing that they smoke. “Cigarettes have clearly become obsolete,” confides Laura. A sign that standards have changed. This awareness can provoke self-reflection and increase motivation to quit.
Multiple attempts before achieving it
Saying no to smoking is rarely a linear journey. Many people make several attempts before succeeding. Tools exist to help: nicotine substitutes, medical support or campaigns such as “Tobacco Free Month”, which encourage thousands of smokers each year to try the experiment.
For Laura, the objective is now to last over time. “I already feel a little better when I move,” she confides. An improvement which, for her, is worth much more than the price of a package saved.
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