France bans smoking on beaches and parks to protect children
PARIS: France has officially banned smoking on beaches, public parks, and near schools starting Sunday in a move to safeguard children from passive smoking. The new law, published in the government gazette on Saturday, also covers bus shelters and areas close to libraries and swimming pools.
The health ministry aims to create smoke-free zones where children play and learn. Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin stated, '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.'
However, the ban excludes bar and restaurant terraces, disappointing anti-tobacco activists. Yves Martinet of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT) called the measure 'insufficient,' noting children also frequent outdoor dining areas. E-cigarettes, which critics argue target youth with flavoured options, remain unrestricted.
Violators face fines ranging from €135 to €700, though authorities expect an initial grace period for public awareness. The ministry will soon clarify the minimum distance for smoking near schools and other child-centric locations.
Despite criticism, officials highlight progress toward a 'tobacco-free generation' by 2032. Smoking rates in France have dropped to their lowest since 2000, with fewer than 25% of adults smoking daily in 2023. Passive smoking causes 3,000–5,000 annual deaths, while active smoking claims 75,000 lives yearly.
Hospitality groups oppose extending the ban to terraces, arguing it would displace smokers without solving the issue. Franck Trouet of Hotels and Restaurants of France (GHR) called terraces 'the last places of conviviality and freedom.'
A recent survey shows 62% of French citizens support public smoking bans.
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New Straits Times
20 hours ago
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France imposes smoking ban on beaches, parks
PARIS: 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 (US$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. 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.
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
France bans smoking on beaches and parks to protect children
PARIS: France has officially banned smoking on beaches, public parks, and near schools starting Sunday in a move to safeguard children from passive smoking. The new law, published in the government gazette on Saturday, also covers bus shelters and areas close to libraries and swimming pools. The health ministry aims to create smoke-free zones where children play and learn. Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin stated, '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.' However, the ban excludes bar and restaurant terraces, disappointing anti-tobacco activists. Yves Martinet of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT) called the measure 'insufficient,' noting children also frequent outdoor dining areas. E-cigarettes, which critics argue target youth with flavoured options, remain unrestricted. Violators face fines ranging from €135 to €700, though authorities expect an initial grace period for public awareness. The ministry will soon clarify the minimum distance for smoking near schools and other child-centric locations. Despite criticism, officials highlight progress toward a 'tobacco-free generation' by 2032. Smoking rates in France have dropped to their lowest since 2000, with fewer than 25% of adults smoking daily in 2023. Passive smoking causes 3,000–5,000 annual deaths, while active smoking claims 75,000 lives yearly. Hospitality groups oppose extending the ban to terraces, arguing it would displace smokers without solving the issue. Franck Trouet of Hotels and Restaurants of France (GHR) called terraces 'the last places of conviviality and freedom.' A recent survey shows 62% of French citizens support public smoking bans.
