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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
New ban to be rolled out across France in nearly all outdoor areas including beaches and parks with £114 fines
FRANCE is banning smoking in all outdoor places that children can often be found in, including beaches, parks and bus stops. France's health and family minister announced on Thursday that "where there are children, tobacco must disappear". 4 The ban is being introduced to protect children Credit: Getty In an interview, Catherine Vautrin went on to explain that the restrictions will come into force on July 1. Anyone who fails to follow the new rules could be faced with a £114 fine. The minister added that children have the "right to clean air". Cigarettes will also be banned in areas close to schools , to prevent students being tempted to smoke in front of their school. Read more on France The ban, however, will not apply to The French government's National Anti-Tobacco Programme for 2023-2027 proposed a smoking ban similar to the one announced by Vautrin. The ban called for the challenge of a tobacco-free generation from 2032". However, anti-tobacco organisations raised concerns about the authorities being slow to implement the measures. Most read in News Travel Vautrin added that there were no current places to place additional taxes on cigarettes at the moment. The French Health Ministry is also working to "lower the permitted nicotine level" in electronic smoking devices and is aiming to "reduce the number of flavours", reports French Mountain Towns Smoking in certain venues, such as restaurants and Now, over 1,500 municipalities in France have agreed to ban smoking in The news in France follows a number of other smoking-related bans being enforced across Europe. For example, in the UK from June 1, disposable vapes will no longer be allowed to be sold in the UK. And in Spain, there are plans to introduce a new anti-smoking law , which includes vapes, across multiple public spaces. Speaking to SER Radio , Spain 's health minister, Monica Garcia said that a draft of Spain's anti-smoking law has been virtually completed. 4 The ban, however, will not apply to cafe terraces or include electronic cigarettes Credit: Getty She added that the smoke-free area will be extended to terraces, canopies, work vehicles, university campuses, school playgrounds, sports facilities, public swimming pools and outdoor leisure areas. The ban will apply to all conventional tobacco and vapes too. According to the The campaign now has 50 In addition, 10 beaches in In Andalucía, 61 beaches on the Canary Islands have been declared smoke-free, and 18 beaches in the 4 The news comes as disposable vapes are due to be banned in the UK this weeked Credit: Getty Also, in Costa Blanca, one in four beaches has banned smoking. Garcia was also asked about the possibility of raising tobacco prices. She expressed her full support, noting that pricing policy is "one of the most effective tools" in reducing tobacco consumption, Brits have also been Plus, 4 Spain also announced bans on smoking yesterday Credit: Alamy
Local France
23-04-2025
- Health
- Local France
How to write a Living Will in France
A living will – also known as an advance decision and in French as a Directive Anticipée – is a legally binding document that allows people to choose and explain their wishes regarding future medical treatment in circumstances in which they are no longer able to express informed consent. Directives Anticipées have been legal in France since 2016 and are specifically intended to outline preferences on healthcare treatments at the end of life. France does not at present have legal assisted dying - although that could change soon - but patients can express their wishes about how much medical intervention they want at the end of their lives, whether doctors should try to resuscitate them and similar matters. Advertisement Matters concerning your estate after you die and inheritance issues are dealt with in a traditional Will. READ ALSO Wills and inheritance law in France Who can write one? Any adult has the right to write a Directive Anticipée , regardless of their personal situation. It is important to note that they are a right rather than an obligation, and that you can update, amend, and rewrite them later as your personal circumstances and wishes change. When should you write one? That's up to you. If you are about to undergo surgery, you may be offered the opportunity to write one, but the truth is you can set down your wishes at any time in your life, regardless of whether you are healthy or ill. But many people decide to write one if they have been diagnosed with a serious illness. How long are they valid for? Documents are valid indefinitely, but you can modify or cancel them at any time. Is there a form? There is. A model for the document is available from the French Health Ministry via Service Public – here . Some healthcare facilities such as hospitals may have a form you could use. Using these templates is not mandatory – your wishes, handwritten in French on a piece of paper that's signed and dated is enough – but they ensure that your expression of wishes meets the requirements set out in the law. Advertisement If, for whatever reason, you cannot write your own directive, you can ask someone to do so in front of you and two witnesses. One of them must be your 'trusted person' if you have designated one. READ ALSO How to register a death and arrange a funeral in France Trusted Person' – what's that? Ah, yes. A 'trusted person' ( personne de confiance ) is the person you entrust to act on your behalf and advocate for you with medical professionals if you are ill and unable to speak for yourself. They should support you in health-related matters and, if one day you are unable to express your wishes, they will be consulted as a priority to express them for you: they will be able to receive medical information on your behalf and will be your spokesperson. There is no requirement for this person to be a blood relative or a spouse. Advertisement Can I choose my personne de confiance ? You can – it must be a person you trust and they must agree to take on the role. It can be a relative, a friend, or even your GP – but, whoever it is, it is important that they understand the responsibility and agree to do so. It could be a very difficult job, after all. The full name and contact details of your personne de confiance must be included either on your directive, or on a separate sheet attached to it. They must sign it to confirm they have understood and agreed to the role. What if I don't have one? Doctors will make a decision regarding your care after consulting other doctors and close family, in consultation with any involved healthcare team. Where should I keep it? A good question. It should be easily accessible. If you have a dossier médical partagé – via online healthcare service Mon Espace Santé – you can record or store your documents there, or indicate that you have written a directive and where it is stored. Otherwise, you can entrust them to the doctor or caregiver of your choice so that they can keep them in your medical or nursing file; and/or give them to your trusted person, a family member or a loved one. How will my wishes be read and kept? If you can no longer express yourself, a doctor responsible for your healthcare is obliged to find out as soon as possible whether you have written a directive, read it and respect your wishes. There are two reasons your wishes may – initially – be ignored. Priorities first. First-responders and emergency doctors, for example, don't check directives before trying to save your life. Once you've been admitted to hospital, your files will be reviewed and the directive read and acted on. And, if your directive is 'not in accordance with the medical situation'. In this case, in which case the lead doctor will consult with other doctors and your agreed personne de confiance about the healthcare steps to take. What if I haven't written one? In all cases, your pain will be treated and soothed. Your well-being and that of your loved ones will remain the priority. The law requires doctors not to begin or continue treatments that they consider unreasonable, unnecessary or disproportionate, or that have no other effect than to keep you artificially alive. The doctor will consult your personne de confiance if you have one, or your loved ones to find out your wishes, and will make decisions – as part of a team – with other doctors.
