The Month Without TobaccoLaunched in France in 2016, the campaign has become an essential annual event for smokers who want to quit tobacco, which is highly dangerous for both health and the environment. Every year during the month of November, this national campaign invites participants to abstain from smoking for 30 days. The goal is clear: to increase the chances of quitting permanently fivefold, thanks to personalized support and a collective effort.

What is the No Smoking Month?

Piloted by Public Health France In partnership with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance, the "Month Without Tobacco" is an initiative targeting smokers. The goal of this campaign is to help people who want to quit smoking achieve their objectives with a challenge: not to smoke for the 30 days of November. And it works!

The "Month Without Tobacco" campaign has been running for 10 years, as this year marks its 10th edition. Since its inception, participation in "Month Without Tobacco" has fluctuated, but generally increased until 2023. In 2021, 112,933 people registered, a slight decrease compared to previous years, but with a notable rebound in 2023 when nearly 160,000 participants joined the challenge, before a slight decrease in 2024 with 134,000 registered participants and 117,568 in 2026. Despite these fluctuations, more than 1,4 million French people have participated in the campaign since 2016!

The operation relies on a website, a helpline (39 89), a mobile application (Tabac Info Service), and smoking cessation kits. In 2022, the 39 89 helpline recorded nearly 56,000 calls, 48,600 of which were for smoking cessation assessments and follow-up appointments. In 2024, the use of these tools increased further, with a 23% rise for the website and a 38% increase for the helpline. Various support groups, organized regionally, are available for local mutual aid.

What are the concrete results of the No Tobacco Month?

The studies Studies conducted by Public Health France and the OECD show that the "Month Without Tobacco" campaign generates measurable benefits by reducing smoking rates. Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 2 million attempts to quit smoking were directly linked to the campaign, with a six-month success rate of 20% among participants. Thanks to these attempts to quit smoking, lives have been saved and numerous illnesses prevented. It's worth remembering that tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in France! Furthermore, reducing smoking is an environmentally sound action, as tobacco is extremely harmful to the environment.

Note that the No Tobacco Month, via Tobacco Info Service It primarily promotes nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine patches and chewing gum, but does not directly recommend electronic cigarettes, which are sometimes considered a an ecological alternative to tobacco, but which is not recognized as an official method by the Health Insurance.