France is set to introduce a ban on smoking in all outdoor areas accessible to children, including beaches, parks, school areas and bus stops.
The ban goes into effect on July 1. It will exempt cafe outdoor terraces and will not apply to electronic cigarettes. Offenders will face a fine of €135 (₹13,116).
“Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Vautrin said in an interview published by Ouest-France daily. Vautrin added that “the freedom to smoke must end where the freedom of children to breathe fresh air begins”.
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“From July 1, beaches, public parks and gardens, school areas, bus shelters, and sports facilities will be smoke-free throughout France. Smoking will therefore be prohibited there, to protect our children.”
Smoking rates in France have hit historic lows, according to a new report from the French Observatory for Drugs and Addictive Trends. The study shows that fewer than one in four adults aged 18-75 now smoke daily—the lowest level since record-keeping began in the late 1990s.
Smoking in establishments like restaurants and nightclubs has been banned in France since 2008.
The UK announced a similar smoking ban last year. Some Spanish regions have banned smoking on beaches, while Sweden has outlawed it in outdoor restaurant terraces, bus stops, train platforms and schoolyards since 2019.
