Ban on the electronic cigarette in French Polynesia: understanding the decision and what is at stake

The Assembly of French Polynesia caused surprise at the end of August 2025 by voting an amendment banning the electronic cigarette and all its derivatives. The text, brought by senator Lana Tetuanui and supported by a majority of members, provides for a ban on importing vaping products from 1 July 2026 and on selling them a year later. For many Polynesians, the amendment marks a radical turning point in the fight against smoking and addiction, while others see it as a disproportionate measure. This article offers smokers, vapers and the general public a factual analysis of the debates, the reasons and the consequences of this unprecedented decision.

What does the text that was voted contain?

Initially, the bill presented by health minister Cédric Mercadal was mainly intended to strengthen taxation and control of vaping products. During the session, senator Lana Tetuanui proposed an amendment going “further”: simply banning “vapes” and all their components. President Moetai Brotherson pointed out that such a ban could be challenged in the light of the principles of freedom of trade and proportionality, but the majority maintained its determination to act.

The text adopted introduces a standalone article so that any censure would not annul the law as a whole. The main provisions are:

• Scope of the ban: the import, release for consumption, distribution, manufacture, possession for sale and free transfer of all vaping products are prohibited.
• Timetable: the ban on import and distribution will come into force on 1 July 2026, while sales will be banned from 1 July 2027.
• Penalties: breaching the ban carries an administrative fine of one million Pacific francs.

The final vote resulted in 51 in favour, 5 against and 1 abstention, with several opposition members arguing that individual freedom was being infringed and that the trade had not been consulted.

Why ban vaping? The authorities’ justifications

Protecting young people and tackling the misuse of devices

The main reason put forward by the authorities is the protection of young people. Local accounts and studies show that electronic cigarettes are sometimes modified in order to inhale illegal substances. The Assembly referred in particular to the use of these devices to consume cannabis oil and, above all, methamphetamine (known as ice). According to the Ea Piahi – Santé Jeune 2024 survey, about 3.5% of Polynesian pupils have already tried methamphetamine, and 1 inhabitant in 10 says they have used it. A study commissioned by the government on ice use points to a sharp rise in trafficking and use, with drug seizures up 142% between 2021 and 2022 and drug-related offences more than twice the mainland French average.

A background of high smoking rates

French Polynesia has a very high smoking prevalence: about 41% of adults smoke regularly, compared with about 25% in mainland France. Members in favour of the ban therefore consider that vaping sustains nicotine dependence and does not reduce tobacco use sufficiently. Lana Tetuanui pointed out that the territory had already banned certain plastic or health-related products and that it had the power to act on imports in order to limit the damage to health.

Public health first

For the Tavini huiraatira group, which governs French Polynesia, the aim is to “consider people rather than money”. Member Ernest Teagai called on elected representatives to come together to toughen the law, arguing that health should take precedence over economic interests. The climate of fear created by rising ice use, by violence and by the cancellation of cultural events has also led some members and mayors to call for a strong response.

Reactions and debate: a divided society

Vaping professionals and retailers

Sellers of electronic cigarettes feel betrayed. Torea Gille, who runs a vaping business in Tahiti, explained that the trade had taken part in drawing up a text mainly intended to restrict sales to minors and to increase taxation, only to discover the banning amendment in the chamber. He fears shop closures and job losses, pointing out that the use of vaping devices to take drugs remains marginal and that a ban will benefit the black market. Several businesses have announced their intention to challenge the law before the Conseil d’État and criticise the lack of consultation.

Associations and health professionals

Medical opinion is nuanced. The lung specialist Redouane Bouayab acknowledges that vaping is less harmful than the cigarette but points out that it is not harmless and that its long-term effects remain uncertain. He recommends using it over a short period as part of a plan to stop smoking. The NGO Génération sans tabac, which specialises in smoking prevention, welcomes a decision that protects young people but notes that the ban risks being challenged as an infringement of freedom of trade and may not stand up legally.

Political opponents

Several members of the A Here ia Porinetia group and a few from Tapura and Tavini voted against. Member Nuihau Laurey considers that the legislator’s role is to prevent and to tax rather than to “ban and play policeman”. He criticises the absence of an impact assessment and the inconsistency of leaving equally harmful products on sale (alcohol, sugary drinks) while vaping is banned. Opponents also fear that smokers will turn to tobacco or to illegal channels in the absence of an alternative.

Comparison with the rules in mainland France and in other territories

Mainland France: a targeted ban on puffs and controlled vaping

In mainland France, the sale, distribution and supply of disposable electronic cigarettes (“puffs”) have been banned since 26 February 2025. Law no. 2025-175 amending the public health code provides for a fine of up to 100,000 € (200,000 € for a repeat offence) for those who break the rule. The measure is intended to protect teenagers and the environment, but it concerns only pre-filled, non-rechargeable devices.

Vaping is also banned in schools, in training centres taking minors and on public transport. Those in charge of premises open to the public who fail to signal these bans face a fine of 450 €, and users in breach a fine of 750 €. Bars, restaurants and care facilities, on the other hand, may allow vaping at their discretion. Flavours and online sales remain legal but are strictly controlled.

Réunion: higher taxes

In Réunion, the regional council voted a sharp increase in the octroi de mer (the local tax on imports) applied to vaping products, from 6.5% to 28% in February 2025. The authorities justify the increase on public health grounds, but addiction specialists, among them David Mété, criticise a “serious error” that they say risks discouraging smokers from turning to a risk-reduction tool. The reform aligns the taxation of vaping with that of tobacco and applies differently depending on the type of product (nicotine liquids, devices, spare parts and so on).

New Caledonia: puffs prohibited

In April 2024, the government of New Caledonia adopted an order banning the import of disposable electronic cigarettes. The measure is justified by the appeal of these products to teenagers and by the waste they generate. Stocks may be sold off within 15 days, after which orders placed after the order was made must be re-exported or destroyed.

Martinique and other territories

Despite the mainland law of February 2025, journalists have found that puffs remain widely available in Martinique. Retailers admit selling these devices entirely illegally, attracting a young clientele. A doctor in Martinique warns that these products are a gateway to nicotine dependence and could reverse the fall in smoking observed locally. In French Guiana, Mayotte and Guadeloupe, no general ban is in force, but national rules apply and the debates on taxation continue.

Outlook: implementation and potential impact

Enforcing the law and carrying out checks

French Polynesia now has less than a year to prepare for the entry into force of the import ban. The government will have to define how checks are to be carried out at the borders and in shops, mobilise the customs service and clarify the penalty mechanisms. As President Brotherson pointed out, the text risks being challenged as unconstitutional; an appeal to the Conseil d’État should therefore be anticipated. If the provision is annulled, the law as a whole will remain in force thanks to the drafting of a separate article.

Impact on consumption habits

The disappearance of vaping could lead some smokers back to conventional tobacco or towards informal channels to obtain e-cigarettes, as several retailers have noted. For the measure to meet its objectives, it will have to be accompanied by stronger cessation programmes: nicotine substitution, psychological support, information campaigns and individual follow-up. Without that support, specialists fear an increase in smoking or a surge in the black market, reducing the expected health benefits.

Towards a Polynesian model?

The territory is part of a worldwide movement towards tighter rules on vaping, but has made the most radical choice within the French area. Its decision is driven by a local context, high smoking prevalence, a surge in methamphetamine use and the misuse of devices, which differs from that of mainland France. Whether the ban will stand up legally and whether it will genuinely protect young people and reduce addiction remains to be seen. In any event, it opens a debate on how to reconcile risk reduction, the protection of young people and individual freedom, a debate set to continue both in Polynesia and across the French territories.