In France, the cigarette pack has become a symbol of a much bigger battle. Behind the €12.50–€13 price tag lies a deliberate strategy: around 75–80% of what smokers pay goes straight to the state in taxes, while manufacturers and tobacconists survive on relatively small margins. Since 2023, these taxes are indexed to inflation, locking in almost automatic yearly increases designed to push smoking out of everyday life.
The results are brutal at the checkout. Cartons now run into hundreds of euros, rolling tobacco has followed the same upward curve, and the cheapest brands are no longer truly “cheap.” Compared with neighboring countries where packs still cost €4–€6, French smokers face a stark choice: pay more, cross borders, or quit. With projections of €20 a pack within a decade, the real question is how many will be priced out before they are persuaded to stop.
