Every year, this event gives smokers the opportunity to join a collective effort encouraging them to commit together to quitting smoking for a month. This is a crucial first step, as successfully quitting for 30 days increases the chances of quitting for good by five times. Because boosting smokers’ motivation is crucial, preparations for this event are already underway: throughout the month of October, smokers are invited to prepare to quit and to participate in the challenge by registering on the dedicated website and via the Tabac info service app. A major communication campaign is being rolled out across TV, radio, billboards, and digital platforms.

You weren’t alone when you started, and you won’t be alone when you quit

After two years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, this new edition of Tobacco-Free Month puts the collective back at the heart of the campaign through an initiative that highlights the motivational power of quitting together and the importance of support during withdrawal. At the same time, the initiative continues to offer information and advice so that everyone can choose their own strategy and take the first step toward quitting smoking.

Smoke-Free Month is a challenge tackled collectively, thanks to the support of various stakeholders (healthcare professionals, partners, local businesses, loved ones, etc.) who guide and bolster participants’ motivation to stay committed to quitting smoking. On-the-ground initiatives are once again being rolled out to reach smokers where they are. In each region¹, two “Month Without Tobacco” booths, led by regional ambassadors and supported by local partners, will be set up during dedicated days at shopping centers to provide useful information on quitting smoking.

This year, the “Month Without Tobacco” branding is also getting a makeover with a new visual identity and a new slogan:

Tailored and customizable tools to meet everyone’s needs

Everyone’s journey to quit smoking is different. That’s why we offer a wide variety of complementary tools and resources to provide personalized support tailored to each individual’s profile.

Among the tools available to support participants are:

• Tabac info service, a major smoking cessation support program, which includes:

  • The website tabac-info-service.fr, which offers a wide range of support content and tools (connecting you with a tobacco specialist, testimonials, Q&As, etc.);

  • The 39 89 helpline, Tabac info service’s toll-free telephone line that connects smokers with smoking cessation professionals—tobacco specialists—to receive personalized follow-up;

  • The Tabac info service e-coaching app, developed by the French National Health Insurance in partnership with Santé publique France and with the support of the Francophone Society of Tobacco Medicine, which has been updated and offers a comprehensive, personalized e-coaching program to maximize the chances of quitting smoking for good (tips, support videos, tracking the daily benefits of quitting, etc.).

• Santé publique France invites participants to connect on social media. By following the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, smokers can find daily support within the community, as well as useful information and advice to help them navigate the withdrawal phase.

• A “Month Without Tobacco” quit-smoking kit includes the 40-day program—comprising two phases: 10 days of preparation and 30 days of challenge—a savings wheel, and this year, two informational flyers: one detailing the various tools available to help quit smoking and the other explaining how to seek support from a healthcare professional throughout the quitting process. This kit is available free of charge upon registration on the Mois sans tabac website or at the 18,000 pharmacies partnering with the initiative.

Starting October 9, three 30-second TV spots will air on national networks, featuring the campaign slogan: “You weren’t alone when you started, and you won’t be alone when you quit.” They will depict different stages in the lives of smokers and different types of smokers, always within a collective context: the moment they started smoking and the moment they quit. These spots will also be adapted for radio and online video formats to increase their visibility.

Since the beginning of the month, a poster campaign featuring the new colors of Tobacco-Free Month has been rolled out on a large scale in 18,000 pharmacies, as well as in shopping malls, local stores, and train stations. On the digital front, social media posts and banners are visible on numerous websites.

Smoke-Free Month: Key Statistics

In France, tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of death, making it a major public health issue.

Results from the Santé publique France Barometer published in May 20212 showed that smoking prevalence had stabilized in 2020, with 25.5% of daily smokers, showing no significant change compared to 2019. Estimates for 2021 will be published by the end of 2022.

The Fund for the Fight Against Addictions is funding, as part of the “Smoke-Free Month 2022” call for projects launched by the health insurance funds—the Primary Health Insurance Funds (CPAM) and the General Social Security Fund (CGSS)—in the overseas departments – 341 projects developed by local stakeholders (associations, local authorities, healthcare facilities, healthcare professionals, etc.).