France implements smoking ban at beaches and parks — Check details
France on Sunday banned smoking in public areas such as parks and beaches, aiming to protect the crowd from passive smoke and create the country's first non-smoking generation.
The ban also applies to bus shelters and areas near libraries, swimming pools and schools, AFP reported.
The initiative was introduced one week before the start of school holidays in order to shield children from smoke on beaches.
However, the rules do not apply to all public spaces, which includes bar and restaurant terraces.
The rule also does not apply to electronic cigarettes.
"Frankly, I think it's ridiculous. We bring our own ashtrays and we're no longer allowed to smoke in parks, on beaches and so on," said Damien Dupois, a smoker.
On the other hand, Romain Boonaert, a non-smoker enjoying the beach in La Porge outside Bordeaux, welcomed the move.
'There's plenty of space, but it's never pleasant when you get a little smoke on you. And then some people smoke other things too, so at least it takes away all the trouble.'
According to the new rules, people should also not smoke within a 10 metres radius of schools, swimming pools, libraries and other places that can hurt minors.
Those who violate the ban could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. The punishment will be applicable after the initial grace period gets over.
"Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children. A park, a beach, a school -- these are places to play, learn, and breathe. Not for smoking," Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin said.
Vautrin said the ban was part of France's push for a "tobacco-free generation" by 2032.
The ban "is a step in the right direction, but remains insufficient," said Yves Martinet, president of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), criticising the continued permission to smoke on cafe terraces.
"The minister points to the protection of children," but children "also go to the terraces," Martinet, a pulmonologist, said.
Martinet also emphasised on the absence of e-cigarettes from the text, saying flavours are used to "hook young people".
"For a measure to be effective, it must be clear — no consumption of products containing tobacco or nicotine in public," he said.
However Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) for the Paris region had a different opinion about smoking on terraces. He said a ban on smoking on cafe terraces "would only shift the problem because people on terraces would smoke next to these establishments".
Direct smoking is known to cause death, however as official data suggests, even passive smoking can be fatal as it causes anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 deaths annually in France.
Smoking causes 75,000 deaths a year and costs society 156 billion euros annually, the agency said.
Smoking is steadily declining in France with "the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000", according to the French addiction agency OFDT. Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 75 smoked daily in 2023.
A recent survey found 62% of French respondents support a smoking ban in public spaces, the news agency said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Vinod Kambli refused part-time job, took 700 pounds from his father, spent it with friends: 'He never cared about money'
Vinod Kambli, whose deteriorating health left the entire Indian cricket fraternity worried, has been able to get his life back on track after receiving BCCI's aid and having successfully recovered from an infection that got him hospitalised a couple of months ago. It was in December last year that Kambli's appearance at the unveiling of the Ramakant Achrekar memorial sparked health concerns. The former India batter, whose career took a turn for the worse after a promising start in the early 1990s, remained in the news for the next 60-odd days due to health issues. In an interview. Kambli revealed that he had collapsed and was diagnosed with a urinary infection, and just when he seemed to have recovered from it, he was hospitalised again due to a relapse. Vinod Kambli failed to manage his finances(AFP) Thankfully, Kambli has stayed good this year, but his condition always reopens the biggest 'what if' in Indian cricket. One of the biggest missed opportunities in Indian cricket, Kambli remains its biggest mystery. If only he had handled his distractions well, Kambli could have been a legend. But not everything falls as planned. Kambli always had promise; of course, we know it. But did you know, even before Kambli broke into the Indian team, the news of his talent spread to different shores. When his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar made history by signing on with Yorkshire, Kambli was already in England, playing for a local club, where he made friends. More than 30 years later, those friends are worried about Kambli and wonder what went wrong. "As a South Asian, Sachin joining Yorkshire was big news. I'll tell you what was better, he brought along with him his friend Vinod Kambli, who played in our league. I've never-ever met a person who hits the ball as hard as he used to," Kambli's friend Nasa Hussain told The Indian Express. "He just ran down the track and hits the first ball for six, and you think, 'well okay'. Young man from India, never seen before, never heard of before, and he just comes and smashes it. Subsequently, he went on to score two double-hundreds against England. That was some talent. In today's day and age, that guy would have been a multi-millionaire." Solly Adam, the man responsible for Tendulkar's contract, was like a father figure to Kambli. So when money was tough – Kambli used to earn 25 pounds for a day – the left-handed batter was suggested by his friends that it won't be a bad idea to take up a part-time gig. But Kambli turned it down, exuding confidence in his cricket abilities. After a solid season, Kambli had earned a total of 700 pounds, which was handed over to his father. But handling wealth was never the youngster's cup of tea. When Kambli spent 700 pounds with his friends "One day we were sitting, 10 cricketers. All of them had part-time jobs except for Vinod and Sachin. So a cricketer from Mumbai asked Vinod – 'Since you only earn 25 pound a match, why don't you work at one of Solly's places? Kambli didn't think for a minute, pat came his reply: 'I and Sachin will make money playing Test cricket, I don't want to divert my attention doing part-time jobs.' That was exceptional, what confidence. He was very young, far from being a Test batsman but he had the confidence," Solly told IE. "Vinod, when he returned to India, took all the money from his father and spent it with his friends … Vinod never cared about money, nor did he have any respect for commodities," Solly had written in his book.
Mint
11 hours ago
- Mint
France implements smoking ban at beaches and parks — Check details
France on Sunday banned smoking in public areas such as parks and beaches, aiming to protect the crowd from passive smoke and create the country's first non-smoking generation. The ban also applies to bus shelters and areas near libraries, swimming pools and schools, AFP reported. The initiative was introduced one week before the start of school holidays in order to shield children from smoke on beaches. However, the rules do not apply to all public spaces, which includes bar and restaurant terraces. The rule also does not apply to electronic cigarettes. "Frankly, I think it's ridiculous. We bring our own ashtrays and we're no longer allowed to smoke in parks, on beaches and so on," said Damien Dupois, a smoker. On the other hand, Romain Boonaert, a non-smoker enjoying the beach in La Porge outside Bordeaux, welcomed the move. 'There's plenty of space, but it's never pleasant when you get a little smoke on you. And then some people smoke other things too, so at least it takes away all the trouble.' According to the new rules, people should also not smoke within a 10 metres radius of schools, swimming pools, libraries and other places that can hurt minors. Those who violate the ban could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. The punishment will be applicable after the initial grace period gets over. "Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children. A park, a beach, a school -- these are places to play, learn, and breathe. Not for smoking," Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin said. Vautrin said the ban was part of France's push for a "tobacco-free generation" by 2032. The ban "is a step in the right direction, but remains insufficient," said Yves Martinet, president of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), criticising the continued permission to smoke on cafe terraces. "The minister points to the protection of children," but children "also go to the terraces," Martinet, a pulmonologist, said. Martinet also emphasised on the absence of e-cigarettes from the text, saying flavours are used to "hook young people". "For a measure to be effective, it must be clear — no consumption of products containing tobacco or nicotine in public," he said. However Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) for the Paris region had a different opinion about smoking on terraces. He said a ban on smoking on cafe terraces "would only shift the problem because people on terraces would smoke next to these establishments". Direct smoking is known to cause death, however as official data suggests, even passive smoking can be fatal as it causes anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 deaths annually in France. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths a year and costs society 156 billion euros annually, the agency said. Smoking is steadily declining in France with "the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000", according to the French addiction agency OFDT. Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 75 smoked daily in 2023. A recent survey found 62% of French respondents support a smoking ban in public spaces, the news agency said.
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
France Bans Smoking On Beaches, Parks, Announces Fine Of Up To 700 Euros
Anyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park in France will be breaking the law from Sunday under new rules aimed at protecting children from the dangers of passive smoking. Bus shelters and areas in the immediate vicinity of libraries, swimming pools and schools will also be affected by the ban, which is coming into force one day after its publication in the official government gazette on Saturday. The rule is being imposed one week before the beginning of the school holidays in France in a clear bid to immediately protect children from smoke on the beach. However, to the disappointment of some anti-tobacco activists, the ban does not cover the terraces of bars and restaurants where many French still happily light up. They are also unhappy that the ban does not apply to electronic cigarettes. The rules had initially been expected to come into force on Tuesday after a previous announcement by the health ministry but the publication in the official gazette means this has now been brought forward to Sunday. People should also not smoke within a 10 metres radius of schools, swimming pools, libraries and other places that hurt minors. The health ministry said it would announce the minimum distance for smoking in these areas in the coming days as well as reveal the sign used to designate such areas. Violators of the ban could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. However the health ministry is expecting an initial grace period as the new rules are explained. "Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children. A park, a beach, a school -- these are places to play, learn, and breathe. Not for smoking," Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin said. This is another step "towards a tobacco-free generation", she added, which France is targeting from 2032. 'It must be clear' The ban "is a step in the right direction, but remains insufficient," said Yves Martinet, president of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), criticising the continued permission to smoke on cafe terraces. "The minister points to the protection of children," but children "also go to the terraces," Martinet, a pulmonologist, said. He lamented the absence of e-cigarettes from the text, saying flavours are used to "hook young people". "For a measure to be effective, it must be clear -- no consumption of products containing tobacco or nicotine in public," Martinet said. But Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) for the Paris region, said a ban on smoking on cafe terraces "would only shift the problem because people on terraces would go smoke next to these establishments". "Smokers and non-smokers can coexist" on terraces, the "last places of conviviality and freedom," said Franck Trouet, of hospitality association Hotels and Restaurants of France (GHR). In France, passive exposure to tobacco smoke causes 3,000 to 5,000 deaths per year, according to official figures. Smoking is steadily declining in France with "the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000", according to France addiction agency the OFDT. Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 75 reported smoking daily in 2023, according to the agency. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths per year in France and, again according to the OFDT, costs society 156 billion euros annually, counting factors including lost lives, quality of life, productivity, prevention, law enforcement, and healthcare. According to a recent opinion survey, 62 percent of French people favour a smoking ban in public places.
