&w=3840&q=100)
France to ban smoking in public spaces where kids are present from July 1
Barkha Mathur New Delhi
France is saying 'non' to puffing in public where children are around. Starting this July, lighting up a cigarette at the beach or bus stop in France might land you a hefty fine. In a move hailed by health advocates, the French government is set to roll out tough new anti-smoking rules to keep public spaces, especially those frequented by children, smoke-free, according to media reports.
Why is France banning smoking in outdoor public places?
French Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin explained in an interview published by the regional Ouest-France daily on its website that tobacco 'must disappear where there are children.' She added, 'The decision is rooted in public health, particularly for children. The freedom to smoke stops where children's right to breathe clean air starts.'
The restrictions will take effect on July 1 and will cover all outdoor areas where children are likely to be present, including beaches, parks, public gardens, school surroundings, bus stops, and sports venues, she said.
According to Santé Publique France (Public Health France), the French national public health agency reporting to the Ministry of Health, about 75,000 people die from tobacco-related complications each year in the country. The government wants to take stronger steps to reduce this number and ensure that children are not exposed to secondhand smoke in open, public areas.
Where will smoking be banned under the new rules?
Public parks and gardens
Beaches
School surroundings
Sports stadiums and grounds
Bus and tram stops
The aim is to create tobacco-free zones in all places where children and families gather.
What is the penalty for breaking France's new smoking ban?
If you're caught smoking in a restricted outdoor area, you could face a fine of up to €135 ($154). French authorities plan to actively enforce the new rules, with signage and public awareness campaigns to support compliance.
Are there exceptions to the smoking ban in France?
There are two notable exceptions:
Café terraces are exempt, meaning adults can still smoke while sipping coffee outside a café
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vapes) are not included in this ban, though France is working on tightening vaping regulations soon
Do French citizens support the outdoor smoking ban?
According to a survey cited by news agency AFP, 62 per cent of French citizens support a ban on smoking in public spaces. That's nearly two out of three people.
How widespread is smoking in France today?
According to a report by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Behaviours, a non-profit organisation that collects data on drug use and addiction and evaluates public policy, smoking is declining in the country, particularly among teens. It found that daily smoking among 17-year-olds has dropped by nearly 16 percentage points since 2011. However, vaping is becoming more common, with 56.9 per cent of 17-year-olds having tried it at least once.
France joins global efforts to tighten tobacco laws
France is joining a growing list of countries stepping up their tobacco control measures. Spain recently proposed expanding its own smoking bans to include terraces, university campuses, and open-air nightclubs. The UK is banning all single-use disposable vapes starting June 1 and is debating further restrictions on smoking in public spaces. For more health updates, follow #HealthWithBS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
What next after medical education?RGUHS plans career guidance cell
Bengaluru: Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) will launch a career guidance cell to facilitate skill training and provide information on job opportunities for its students. A recent syndicate meeting approved the formation of the cell, which is expected to be set up in the next three months. The cell will have different verticals. "There are various objectives that we would like to fulfil," said vice-chancellor Bhagavan BC. "Firstly, we want to provide information about all the courses available nationally and internationally so that students are aware of the possibilities after their graduation. They should be able to choose the right programme after they complete their courses," he said. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru In the second vertical, the cell intends to connect the students to various industry bodies. As most students of D Pharm D, B Pharma and other allied programmes seek industrial placements and look for jobs all over the world, "we would like to guide them with the right information," he said. "But we will not place them. That is not our domain. We are not a placement agency. Our domain is to help them get the information," the vice-chancellor said. The third vertical is a finishing school. The cell will identify the relevant skills required for each of the courses. Students will be given personalised career advice. There will be workshops on attending interviews, developing resumes, group discussions, and preparing for debates. A proposed language lab is also expected to be part of the cell. The department of medical education had earlier announced plans to teach students various foreign languages, including English, Italian, German, French, and Japanese, to help them get jobs in foreign countries. "There are a lot of external agencies that students approach for learning foreign languages. Why should they waste money on them when we can facilitate it within the university for a nominal cost?" he said. The proposal is for the cell to work in a hybrid model so that students need not visit the campus physically every time. A committee will be formed to work out the nitty-gritty and appoint a university official as in-charge of the cell. RGUHS has around 1,500 colleges under its umbrella across various streams, including medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and other allied courses. There are 2.4 lakh students under its ambit. MSID:: 123236769 413 | Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Eating 3 servings of French fries every week could raise diabetes risk by 20%, study finds
Consuming three servings of French fries a week is associated with a 20% increased chance of developing diabetes; however, similar quantities of potatoes that are boiled, baked or mashed do not significantly raise this risk, a study published in the British Medical Journal said. Researchers, including those from Harvard and Cambridge universities, analysed the questionnaire responses of over two lakh people who were free of diabetes, heart disease or cancer at the study's start. Over a follow-up period of 40 years, about 22,300 participants were found to have developed diabetes. 'For every increment of three servings weekly of French fries, the rate increased by 20%. Intake of combined baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes was not significantly associated with (type 2 diabetes) risk,' the authors wrote. 'The (type 2 diabetes) risk linked to potato intake seemed to depend on the food being replaced: replacing potato with whole grains was associated with lower risk, whereas replacing it with white rice was associated with increased risk,' they added. While potatoes provide nutrients such as fibre, vitamin C, and magnesium, they are also high in starch and have a high glycemic index, which is linked to an increased risk of diabetes. However, the authors emphasised that previous assessments of potatoes' overall impact on health did not take into account the preparation methods or specific foods they were compared against. Specifically, consuming three servings of potatoes each week was linked to a 5% increase in diabetes risk, while three servings of French fries resulted in a 20% increase. Furthermore, switching from three servings of potatoes to whole grains was associated with an 8% reduction in diabetes risk, while replacing three servings of French fries with whole grains reduced risk by 19%, the author said. The data for the analysis were obtained from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2020), the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2021), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2018), all of which are U.S.-based.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
No, Trump is not banning birth control, but US is destroying contraceptives worth $9.7 mn. Why and how much it will cost
The Donald Trump administration has plans in place to destroy millions of dollars' worth of taxpayer-funded contraceptives, which are meant for women in low-income countries. The US State Department will destroy the contraceptives at a French facility which handles medical waste. Image for representation(Unsplash) While there have been fears of Trump banning birth control in the US, they seem unfounded for now, since no such directive is in place. However, there have been reports that Trump's budget cuts have threatened access to birth control for many women in the US. Here's a look at what contraceptives the US government is destroying and how much it will cost them. What contraceptives are the US govt destroying and why? Among the contraceptives the US government is planning to destroy are IUDs, implants and pills. They cost approximately $9.7 million, NPR reported. These have been stuck in a Belgian warehouse since Trump scrapped the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and froze foreign aid earlier this year. Doctors without Borders and reproductive healthcare nonprofit MSI United States told the publication that these products have an expiration date ranging from 2027 to 2031. These contraceptives were meant for girls and women in low-income nations, specially sub-Saharan Africa. However, now they will be incinerated in Europe. However, the State Department told the publication that only a 'limited' number of commodities would be disposed of, and these don't include HIV medication or condoms. How much will it cost the US to destroy the contraceptives? The State Department said that it would cost the US $167,000 to destroy the contraceptives at a French facility which handles medical waste, NPR reported. However, this plan has been met by backlash from the medical community. Chelsea Polis, principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, told the publication that contraceptives worth $9.7 million could have provided pregnancy prevention to over 650,000 people for one year or 950,000 people for ten years, depending on how it was used. Also Read | $21mn USAID for voters in India never existed While some entities also offered to buy these contraceptives with the aim of distributing them, the Trump administration has refused to sell. The State Department has labelled these contraceptives as 'abortifacient birth control commodities', which means they cause the termination of pregnancies. US has a policy called the 'Mexico City Policy', which was brought by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, which restricts foreign nongovernmental bodies from using US federal funds to offer abortion services or related information. President Donald Trump brought back this policy at the start of his second term. Trump budget cuts impact birth control access back home Under the Trump administration, Title X – which was set up by President Nixon is reportedly under threat. Nixon, at the time, had said 'It is my view that no American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance, because of her economic condition.' While the 2025 US budget provided $285.6 million in Title X funds, a group of 15 public health organizations are now suing the Trump government over it. NPR reported that the groups are arguing that the Trump government illegally withheld these Title X funds, thus jeopardizing access to services, including birth control, for over 800,000 people.
