This study aims to describe changes in tobacco and alcohol consumption in France during the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 and its gradual lifting in May. The associated factors and the reasons reported explaining those changes are also studied. Data came from five waves of the CoviPrev online cross-sectional survey (approximately n = 2000 per wave) and the ViQuoP qualitative survey (n = 60), which took place between April and June. Most people self-reported stable consumption compared to before the lockdown, but 27% to 32% of smokers and 10% to 16% of drinkers had increased their consumption, depending on the wave of the survey. Boredom, stress and the search for pleasure were the main reasons reported. While the sociodemographic factors associated with an increase in tobacco and alcohol use differed according to the product and month, poor mental health was associated with an increase in both products in April and May. Between 10% and 19% of smokers and 22% to 25% of drinkers reported having reduced their consumption for their health or through constraints. The measures taken to manage the spring 2020 epidemic appear to have had contrasting impacts on tobacco and alcohol consumption in France. People whose lifestyles and mental health was most affected appear to have modified their consumption more frequently.

The COVID-19 epidemic and its psychological, economic and social consequences could have an impact on the evolution of tobacco-smoking prevalence and attitudes towards quitting. The aim of this study is to analyse the specific characteristics of the motivations for and barriers against smoking cessation in this period. The study is based on qualitative data collected from late 2020 to early 2021 in France from 89 smokers with a low or intermediate socio-economic level. Among the motivations for quitting smoking, health concerns and the financial cost of cigarettes carried increased importance among the smokers in this period. Inversely, perceived stress, isolation, and a lack of social or healthcare support prevented some smokers from attempting to quit. These results are useful for explaining the evolution of smoking prevalence and preparing future interventions in the context of the health crisis and its aftermath. They highlight the relevance of educational messages, of the promotion of validated smoking-cessation aids and, in particular, remote support, as well as the implementation of community-based actions.

Background: Alcohol use ranks among the top three risk factors in France, leading to about 40 000 deaths annually. French health authorities wished to renew the public health message about alcohol consumption and build a social marketing Strategy to lower the social and health consequences of alcohol consumption in France. Objectives: Two main steps were followed: 1) gathering a group of experts to provide up-to-date low-risk drinking guidelines, 2) building, testing and implementing a social marketing Strategy based on this expertise. Results: In 2017, the group of experts established low-risk drinking Guidelines based on both scientific evidence and socially acceptable risks for the French population. They suggested to increase awareness on alcohol-related harm as well as on the new Guidelines. In 2018, a social marketing Strategy was set up by Santé publique France, the French national public health Agency. Qualitative and quantitative pretests allowed to develop understandable and potentially effective communication materials consisting of the following message: “To protect your health, no more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day, and not every day”. A web-based brief intervention to assess a person’s alcohol consumption was developed, based on a previous tool whose effectiveness had been demonstrated. In 2019, the Campaign was launched: health professionals were informed at first, followed by a national mass media Campaign that was broadcasted for 3 weeks, targeting the general population (TV, radio, press, the Internet). Conclusions: It is the first time in France that such a global Strategy is set up to promote an alcohol harm reduction message. A robust evaluation is in progress but this structured approach seems feasible and reproducible abroad. Key messages: In France, an alcohol harm reduction Strategy has been built up and implemented, based on scientifically-established Guidelines. The social marketing campaign is rigorously evaluated to assess its impact and portability.

Background: E-cigarette (EC) use is controversial because its benefit-risk ratio is still unclear. Since its introduction on the French market at the beginning of the 2010’s, French health authorities have published cautious recommendations. The study aims at describing uses and perceptions about EC among the adult population. Methods: Santé Publique France’s Health Barometer, the French national public health agency, is a cross-sectional random survey conducted annually by phone, on a representative sample of the population aged 18-75 y/o in Mainland France. Descriptive analysis and logistic regressions were performed to analyze data collected from the 25,319 respondents of the 2017 edition. Results: In 2017 in Mainland France, 3.8% of the population used an EC, 2.7% on a daily basis. Among EC daily users, 60.4% were men, 57.9% had a bachelor degree or higher qualifications. Less than 1% of EC users were never-smokers, 50.3% were daily or occasional smokers, 49.5% were former smokers. The number of daily ex-smokers who did quit smoking ( > = 6 months) and believed that vaping has helped them to, was estimated to be 700,000 since EC has been available in France. EC was perceived as equally or more harmful than regular cigarette by half of the population (51.5%), a proportion that has increased since 2014 (43.4%). Daily smokers perceived EC as more harmful, while being an EC user from high socioeconomic status was associated with the perception that EC is less harmful. The bans on EC in places where smoking is prohibited and on sales of EC to minors (<18 y/o) were appreciated by 66.9% and 77.5%, respectively. Conclusions: These results show that in France, EC is strongly related to current or past smoking habits. A significant number of ex-smokers believe that EC has helped them quit smoking. Sociodemographic differences in the perception of EC harmfulness suggest social inequalities in access to information. Key messages: Electronic cigarette users in France are few and most of them are smokers or former smokers. The perception of electronic cigarettes harmfulness depends on sociodemographic and smoking status.