The French Senate has rejected Article 23 of the finance bill, which proposed taxing e-cigarettes equivalently to tobacco and banning their online sale. This decision comes as a relief to the vaping industry, particularly the Normandy-based company Le Petit Vapoteur, whose 350 employees had protested the measure.
Although the bill initially passed the National Assembly, senators adopted amendments on Monday, December 1st, to scrap the controversial provisions. Senators David Margueritte and Sébastien Fagnen from the Manche department championed the rejection. Margueritte argued the measure risked creating an “uncontrolled parallel market,” while Fagnen criticized the legislative provisions as “counterproductive” and neglectful of public health and smoking cessation issues.
Le Petit Vapoteur celebrated the victory but remains vigilant, stating on social media, “We remain mobilized. We won’t give up,” and announcing a further demonstration in Paris on December 9th. Both senators have pledged to continue monitoring the legislative process closely.
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