Higher prices and plain packaging are part of plan to halve smoking in France by 2025

The French government has been given a 10 point plan to tackle the country’s high prevalence of smoking, which at 29% is the highest in Europe. The aim is to halve tobacco consumption by 2025.

A report commissioned by the Ministry of Health and delivered to parliament on 1 March calls for a cross department policy to reduce dependence on tobacco in France, to be led by the prime minister. It recommends a new tax on tobacco companies, according to their volume of sales, and ringfencing a portion of tobacco sales taxes to pay for preventive and treatment strategies.

The report also calls …