France to enact smoking ban in public spaces with children from 1 July

Euronews

6 days ago

French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin announced on Thursday that a new smoking ban in outdoor public spaces where children are present will come into force from 1 July.
Speaking to French newspaper Ouest France, Vautin said, "wherever there are children, smoking must disappear", adding that "a smoke-free generation is possible, and it starts now."
A breach of the ban — which is part of France's wider National Tobacco Control Programme, announced in November 2023 — could be punishable with a €135 fine.
In practice, smoking cigarettes will be outlawed in a range of public places — including beaches, parks, gardens, sports facilities, but also bus shelters and areas surrounding schools.
Although the ban will not apply to the terraces of cafes and bars, France's health minister refused to rule out future similar bans in these spaces.
Under the plan, electronic cigarettes will still be permitted in these spaces, but Vautrin emphasised that the government wanted to "lower the permitted nicotine content" in these devices, as well as reduce the variety of flavours available on the market by mid-2026.
The detailed remit of the ban, which is being decided upon with France's Council of State (Conseil d'État) — the French advisory body tasked with advising the government on prospective bills and decrees — has not yet been revealed.
The French Health Minister said the government was counting on"elected representatives to implement (the ban) pragmatically."
The French government has made tackling the number of deaths caused by smoking one of its key missions. Every year, 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications in France.
In 2023, France's National Tobacco Control Programme set out to develop 26 measures — which included raising the price of tobacco, introducing plain packaging and banning the sale of vaping products — in a bid to reduce smoking-related deaths.
According to a survey conducted by NGO "La Ligue contre le cancer", nearly eight out of 10 of those questioned were in favour of a ban, while 83% backed similar legislation for electronic cigarettes.
The measures unveiled by France follow Thursday's announcement from the Spanish government, revealing its plans to ban smoking in a wide range of places — including bar and restaurant terraces, university campuses, vehicles used for work purposes and outdoor sporting events.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France's newly signed partnership with Singapore will serve as a "tangible roadmap to innovate together" in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and technology to nuclear energy and defence.
"Our defence cooperation, shared support of multilateralism, and joint investment in breakthrough technologies are all paving the way for future generations," Macron said during a state lunch with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Speaking to journalists at a joint presser with Macron, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said both countries strongly believe in multilateralism and a rules-based global order.
"We know that this global order is shifting. What we have seen before in the decades past is starting to change. No one knows what the new order will be in the coming years. So we are in a period of transition," Wong noted, emphasising the importance of cooperation between "like-minded countries" during this transitional period.
Macron's state visit to Singapore is part of his week-long tour of Southeast Asia, where he focused on strengthening regional ties. On Wednesday, the French president met with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto to discuss boosting defence and trade cooperation between the two nations.
The French leader is expected to deliver the keynote speech at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security conference, later on Friday. The summit will focus on China's growing assertiveness, the global impact of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the flare-ups of conflicts in Asia.
The French leader is expected to touch on all those issues, as well as the sweeping tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump's administration that are looming over its Asian allies.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will also be present this weekend among the world leaders, diplomats and top defence officials attending the Asian security summit, which is hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies.
Hegseth, who is attending the forum for the first time, will give a speech on Saturday, where he is likely to discuss how the Trump administration plans to tackle security challenges in Asia and attempt to convince Asian leaders that the US is a more reliable partner than China.
The defence secretary met with Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong prior to the conference, where he described the extent of the two nations' military cooperation as "unprecedented".
"The amount of, the hospitality that you show to our troops, the rotational forces, our ships that are here, but then also the over a thousand members of your military over in the United States," Hegseth told Wong.
The summit is taking place against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington, triggered by the Trump administration's threat to impose triple-digit tariffs on China.
There is also uncertainty regarding the United States' commitment to defending Taiwan, which it has also threatened with tariffs of 32%. Before boarding his plane for Singapore, Hegseth reiterated his administration's stance on Taiwan's defence.
'We seek no conflict with anybody, including the communist Chinese,' he said. "We will stay strong for our interests. And that's a big part of what this trip is all about.'