France to ban smoking at beaches, parks and outside schools to protect children
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
France plans to ban smoking on beaches, in parks, outside schools and in other locations from July to protect children, the government said.The ban, which follows similar measures across an increasingly smoking-averse Europe, will exempt cafe outdoor terraces and will not apply to electronic cigarettes."Where there are children, tobacco must disappear," Health and Families Minister Catherine Vautrin said in an interview with the Ouest France newspaper late on Thursday."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."Vautrin said smoking kills around 200 people every day in France.Smoking in France is at historic lows, according to a report published this month by the French Observatory for Drugs and Addictive Trends. It found that just under a quarter of people aged 18-75 smoked daily, the lowest since it began keeping records in the late 1990s.The UK announced a similar smoking ban last year. Some Spanish regions have banned smoking on beaches, while Sweden has outlawed smoking in outdoor restaurant terraces, bus stops, train platforms and schoolyards since 2019.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
15 hours ago
- Economic Times
Deadly brain-eating amoeba kills Texas woman: how to be safe?
What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri is a free-living, single-celled amoeba found in warm freshwater environments worldwide, such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained pools. It is commonly called the 'brain-eating amoeba' because it can cause a fatal brain infection. How do people get infected? Infection occurs when water containing the amoeba enters the nose, usually during swimming, diving, or nasal irrigation with contaminated water. Drinking contaminated water does not cause infection. What are the symptoms? Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Death usually occurs within 5 days of symptom onset. How common are infections? Infections are extremely rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported annually in the U.S. over the past five decades Can the infection be treated? Treatment options are limited and often unsuccessful. Some experimental therapies, such as miltefosine, have shown promise if administered early, but survival remains rare. How can infection be prevented? Use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation. Avoid submerging your head in warm freshwater, especially during the summer months. The Science Behind Naegleria fowleri Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A 71-year-old Texas woman died after contracting a rare but deadly infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri . According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the woman used untreated tap water from her RV's supply for nasal irrigation, a practice that allowed the amoeba to enter her body through her days, she developed severe neurological symptoms, including headache, fever, confusion, and seizures. Despite rapid medical intervention, she succumbed to the infection just eight days after symptoms began. The CDC stresses that such infections are extremely rare but almost always fatal, with only four survivors among 164 reported U.S. cases from 1962 to fowleri is a thermophilic (heat-loving) amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater environments, particularly during summer months. It exists in three life stages: cyst (dormant and resistant), flagellate (transient and mobile), and trophozoite (active and feeding).The trophozoite stage is the infectious form, capable of invading the nasal passages and migrating to the brain via the olfactory nerve, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).The amoeba is classified as a free-living organism, meaning it does not require a host to survive. Instead, it feeds on bacteria and organic matter in the environment. While most exposures do not result in infection, when the amoeba enters the nose, it can rapidly cause severe brain inflammation and tissue destruction, leading to death in nearly all fowleri's ability to adapt to various environments and its near-universal presence in warm freshwater underscores the importance of safe water practices, especially for activities that involve nasal exposure.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Psychologists say these 7 evening habits could be holding you back from ever feeling truly happy
Why do evening habits matter so much? Live Events What habits are secretly ruining your mood? Doomscrolling: Procrastinating on bedtime: Rumination: Things like alcohol and late-night munchies: Keeping the work inbox accessible: Browsing for social validation boosts: Neglecting gratitude: How can you end your day more peacefully? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Have you ever woken up feeling tired, anxious, or just wrong and not known why? It turns out that what you do at night could be slowly taking away your and Buddhist philosophers say that true happiness doesn't just happen; it's the result of small decisions made after say that even a small change to your nighttime routine, like being thankful or not checking your email late at night, can make a big difference in how you feel in the to psychology, happiness is the result of daily choices, particularly those made between sunset and than ten years of studying Buddhist philosophy and modern psychology has demonstrated that our actions at night can subtly influence our emotional state the following morning, as per a report by GEE According to research, seven common evening habits are associated with lower levels of life satisfaction. Understanding these habits can help people find more happiness and constant swiping of bad news or social media, known as "doomscrolling," can increase anxiety and disturb sleep, which are harmful to long-term health . According to Harvard clinicians, this habit is the antithesis of mindful awareness, or suffering is what we consume rather than being there ourselves. The answer is not a total digital detox but a conscious change to a calming activity, like reading or talking to a significant other, to mark the end of the procrastination is a type of self-sabotage in which we go to bed later than planned without any external reason. This can lead to a poorer mood and chronic fatigue, both of which contribute to combat this, label the urge as "revenge bedtime procrastination" and engage in conscious breathing to reclaim agency.A 2023 longitudinal study found that people who engage in evening rumination experienced sharp increases in depressive symptoms, indicating that rumination—the repetition of mistakes, is a significant predictor of problem can be resolved by focusing on gentle curiosity instead of self-criticism through a brief metta meditation, which was a key exercise in Hidden Secrets of and comfort food consumed late at night can have a detrimental effect on happiness and the quality of sleep. While heavy, sugary snacks cause blood-sugar spikes and interfere with sleep cycles, higher alcohol consumption results in worse allowing the body to receive a calming signal without experiencing metabolic chaos, mindfulness offers a more gentle wind-down a work inbox open while you sleep can impede psychological recovery and detachment, increasing the risk of burnout. Leaders should avoid responding to emails at night and instead plan them to be sent at 8 a.m. to encourage healthier work filtered body photos can increase social comparison, which lowers body satisfaction and self-esteem, according to a 2024 experimental social media apps at night and doing things that support one's values, like writing or drawing, can help combat this and preserve happiness and exercises, like writing down three things for which you are grateful, have been shown to dramatically increase positive affect and life satisfaction, according to a 2023 meta-analysis of 64 randomized controlled isn't magic; it's attentional training that teaches the brain to look for opportunities rather than dangers. Practicing gratitude for two minutes each night, pen and paper, may be the psychological equivalent of compound patterns in your life and prioritize awareness over judgment. This week, try a changeable habit and approach it as a gentle experiment. According to Buddhist psychology, long-term happiness is cultivated in quiet, repeatable moments when we skillfully relate to our own it increases anxiety and disrupts your sleep. Consider swapping it for reading or light a two-minute gratitude list or avoiding late-night Instagram can have a noticeable impact.
India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Light pollution is making you sick, fat. Yet regulatory practices remain scant
Around 80% of the world's population lives under skies classified as "light-polluted," according to the World Atlas of Artificial Sky Luminance (2016).While establishing a direct causal relationship between light pollution and metabolic diseases in India is challenging due to the lack of controlled studies, there is ample global evidence showing that light pollution has severe health impacts, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer's practice has consistently shown that hormonal imbalances and metabolic dysfunctions, including diabetes, have increased manifold in areas with high exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN). Experts have flagged stress, disrupted sleep, and circadian rhythm imbalances, all of which are exacerbated by light pollution, as major contributors.A team of researchers from the School of Planning and Architecture, in their study "Light Pollution in India: Appraisal of Artificial Night Sky Brightness of Cities", identified Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Mumbai as the most light-polluted cities in India. Experts have flagged stress, disrupted sleep, and circadian rhythm imbalances, all of which are exacerbated by light pollution, as major contributors. () advertisementThey classified light pollution as a side effect of rapid urbanisation, and the researchers further highlighted how increased use of outdoor lighting and rising night-sky brightness pose significant threats to both human health and environmental SPIKESA 2024 paper published in the Diabetes & Metabolism Journal described light pollution as an "alarming trend", stating that pervasive use of ALAN is emerging as a disruptor of natural circadian rhythms, potentially leading to unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as poor sleep and erratic eating patterns. Read the full paperGerman researchers Jorien Laermans and Inge Depoortere, renowned for their work on circadian biology and metabolism, found that urban light pollution is a major circadian disruptor, and an emerging risk factor for artificial light at night is increasing by about 6% annually, and researchers such as Hlker, Fonken, and Nelson have all acknowledged its impact on rising obesity AND CIRCADIAN DISRUPTIONAnd that's just the beginning of the damage.A Spanish study found higher risks of breast and prostate cancer among people exposed to elevated levels of artificial light at night. An Israeli study recorded a 73% increase in breast cancer incidence in areas with high night-time illumination. ALAN is believed to subdue melatonin, an essential hormone for regulating circadian rhythms. Globally, artificial light at night is increasing by about 6% annually. () This influences cancer development either through hormonal disruption, or impaired DNA repair, or even increased cell proliferation, and chronic IN ACTION: REGULATIONStreetlights, illuminated billboards, neon signage, white industrial and office lighting at night, and household lights are known to be major sources of light about 1 crore smart LED streetlights have been installed in Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, HP, Haryana and other states (annual energy savings of 6.71 billion kWh and reduction of GHG emission by 4.63 million tCO2 every year), light pollution itself remains largely so long ago, in April 2025, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that there is no statutory framework in India to regulate light pollution, highlighting a critical policy in December 2024, the Panchtatva Foundation had also filed a case citing ALAN's disastrous impact on human circadian health. The NGT proactively sought responses from relevant ministries but till date no concrete regulatory action has been light at night may be invisible to the eye as a pollutant, but its impact on public health, ecology, and climate is undeniable. It's time policymakers took ALAN seriously before our cities become even brighter, fatter, and Watch
