Obstacles to Smoking and French Perseverance

Despite the enactment of a smoking ban in public places and a sharp increase in the price of cigarettes, the French are actually smoking more.

The story isn't clear on whether the study mentioned took into account population increase or not. If not, a 2.7% increase in the number of smokers is not significant, but it is surprising that, taking into consideration that smoking is becoming more expensive and less convenient, there has not been a decrease in the number of smokers.

I am far from a scholar on French culture, but I feel comfortable arguing that smoking is an important part of the French culture. What I do know is that the French cherish conversation. Their meals are protracted and lighter than American meals partly because conversation is an inherent part of dining. Smoking and conversation also seems to go hand-in-hand thus smoking may be viewed differently in France (much as they view food differently than us Americans).

I looked up some statistics to see how French smoking habits differ from those of Americans. For one, deaths due to lung cancer are lower in France yet, according to UNECE, a larger percentage of the French population smokes. In 2000, 29% of French citizens over the age of 15 smoked compared to 19% of Americans. The percentage difference was even greater amongst citizens between the ages of 15 and 24 (41% of French citizens compared to 21% of Americans).

From this, it can assumed that, while more French citizens smoke, the French smoke fewer cigarettes per person. Another way of stating this is that the French are more moderate in their smoking habits.

There was a recent New Yorker article on the drinking habits in different cultures. The relevant argument was that many cultures are much more moderate in their drinking habits than Americans. At least relative to the French, Americans seem to have more excessive smoking habits as well.

I'm not making an argument that cigarettes aren't bad. I just found this news and the cited statistics interesting and worth sharing.