Feb 18, 2026
3 min read
It is in Corsica that tobacco is dying the most, according to a recently revealed study by Public Health France.To talk about it this morning, the regional director of Addictions France is our editorial guest.
Show guest editorial team ICI RCFM
"We need funds to fight smoking" Elisa Charlot, regional director of Addictions France
C'est en Corse que l'on meurt le plus des suites de la consommation de tabac, selon une étude de Santé publique France dévoilée récemment. Pour en parler ce matin, la directrice régionale d'Addictions France est notre invitée de la rédaction.
Corsica is one of the most affected regions with a 40% higher death rate due to tobacco than Île-de-France, the least affected French region.480 people die every year on the island due to tobacco consumption, the highest in France.
RCFM: 480 people die each year on the island as a result of tobacco use.Whose fault?why?A reduction in tobacco prices on the continent by the end of 2025 or a lack of global prevention tools?
Elisa Charlot: The fault clearly lies with these two factors, and not only that, the need for communication is a real public health issue, so that means providing the tools so that people can wean, because we know that it's important to provide support when there's a desire to wean, so it means having knowledge of different health systems and locations.And maybe supporting the general population, and then prevention, but I think we'll talk about that later.
RCFM: It's really a communication problem, even though there have been prevention campaigns every year for decades, are we still at this stage?
Elise Charlotte: Yes, so people know that smoking kills, it's a long prevention campaign.But we know it's not enough in reality, it's also the context, the quality of the environment, there are also problems with the general health of the Corsican population, it's stress management, everyday life, what tobacco brings, so how can we manage to support and tell ourselves that there are other things that can reduce stress or other things.
RCFM: There was also another aspect, which was that Corsica benefited from the provision for two centuries that the price of cigarettes was cheaper than on the continent, but from January 1, 2026 the price is the same as on the continent, €13.50, does this still discourage smokers or not?
Elise Charlot: So it's quite paradoxical, I think so, it's been a lever, because we've seen in other departments, national policy, carried out at a national level, has had a problem, an impact, but paradoxically, when we publish the statistics, the most insecure people want to smoke, they will eventually have a more significant addiction to smoking, as well as helping people, or how to help, I mean, start smoking, and this happens at a very young age.
RCFM: Smoking in public places has been banned since the Evin Act, but should we go beyond the ban or take other measures at this level?
Elise Charlot: So the ban, yes, but not only that, I think we also have tobacco-free places in general, it's a duty, it's not just about putting ashtrays, but how to communicate exposure.People know it kills, but what really happens to your own health?treatment
RCFM: If we talk about people who smoke, it is a fact that Corsica stands out even more among the female population.One in three women aged 18 to 29 on the island smoke daily, which has an obvious impact on the tobacco-related mortality rate among women.That's 30% more than in the rest of the country.How would you explain to those closest to these addictions if this is the reality?
Alice Charlotte: So, it's a reality, the reality in our centers is that very few women come, only 30% women of the population, come for tobacco, but not even that, these are de-addiction centers, and we're working here, too, to meet the needs of these women.
RCFM: How many people come to you in total, come to you at different centers?
Elise Charlot: In terms of tobacco, we are in Addictions France, we are in Ajaccio-Bastienne, we work regionally, we have 10% of our active flow in tobacco.Approximately how many people?There are more than a hundred people who come first for tobacco, and then we can support the rest.This is because we also smoke in wood.We have polyconsumption.
RCFM: What specific preventive measures can be taken in one minute to make people want to quit smoking?What is actually being done to help smokers quit and stop smoking?
Elise Charlot: As I said, we have two centers and we are scattered all over the Corte because we have advanced consultations. Feel free to go to the Addictions France website, there are locations and phone numbers, the caller, a nurse deals with them, because the 2016 law allows us that the nurse can prescribe NRT, nicotine replacement therapies, there will be an assessment of what the person will be eating and, above all, what the person is eating, because I cannot sense the public consciousness here." Of course it is a disease,Addiction is a disease, so it's really about motivation and working on personal resources to quit.
RCFM: One last question with these measures. We see this especially at the economic level. In terms of support, can we expect a change in trend in the next 10 years?
Elise Charlot: We sincerely hope that we are committed, we are all involved in health care, this must be the way, we need human resources, and whatever is needed, I have no doubt that the regional health agency is in this area, because there is a press release.In addition, I think it is important to treat current tobacco smoking and, above all, to prevent young people from smoking, so it is a preventive program with psychological skills to develop the understanding of young people.
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Guest editor, ICI RCFM
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