Latest news with #FrenchMonitoringCentreforDrugsandDrugAddiction
Global News
4 days ago
- Health
- Global News
France bans smoking in nearly all outdoor public spaces
Puff, puff… passé? In a move to protect its youngest citizens, France has announced it will enact a nationwide ban on smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children, meaning your dreams of lounging in a French park with a cigarette are about to go up in smoke. 'Where there are children, tobacco must disappear,' French Minister of Health and Family Catherine Vautrin told Ouest-France on Thursday, adding that the freedom to smoke 'ends where children's right to breathe fresh air begins.' Les espaces sans tabac seront élargis aux lieux qui accueillent des enfants partout en France à partir du 1 juillet. Une génération sans tabac, c'est possible et ça commence maintenant ! — Catherine Vautrin (@CaVautrin) May 29, 2025 Story continues below advertisement The ban, which will come into effect July 1, extends to parks, bus stops and areas near schools, the French health ministry said Friday, in a move to 'denormalize tobacco and limit its attractiveness.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy People caught violating the ban will face fines of up to 135 euros (C$210). 1:53 U.K. proposes cigarette ban that would phase out smoking by 2040 And while France is often viewed as a country where smoking is à la mode — it's not hard to picture people lighting up on a Parisian terrace or cobblestone street — the country has enacted increasing restrictions on tobacco use in recent years. Smoking bans in places like playgrounds, airports, train stations, nightclubs, restaurants and workplaces are already in effect. As well, hundreds of beaches across France have been non-smoking for several years. That said, France's iconic café terraces are exempt from the new ban, as are electronic cigarettes. Story continues below advertisement Currently, no decision has been made on banning the sales of cigarettes to youth under 18, Vautrin said, but the country is 'not ruling anything out for the future.' When asked about a tobacco tax hike, she said that's not on the table right now. According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 23 per cent of the French population smokes on a daily basis. France's National Committee Against Smoking says more than 75,000 smokers die each year of tobacco-related illnesses — 13 per cent of all deaths.
India.com
5 days ago
- Health
- India.com
THIS European country to ban outdoor smoking from July 1, violators to be fined up to...
THIS European country to ban outdoor smoking from July 1, violators to be fined up to... In a view to improve the health of children, this European country has decided to ban smoking in public from July 1. It is also an attempt to limit tobacco use in public spaces. The ban will cover a wide range of outdoor locations, such as beaches, public gardens, areas outside schools, and public transportation stops. According to the government, the public areas that may be frequented by children, including beaches, parks, bus stops, and sports venues and in order to look after their health, the government has taken this decision. The country is France. Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin while announcing said, 'Tobacco must disappear where there are children,' Vautrin told the regional daily Ouest-France. Emphasising the government's commitment to protecting minors from exposure to cigarette smoke, she said the freedom to smoke 'stops where children's right to breathe clean air starts.' The ban will cover a wide range of outdoor locations, such as beaches, public gardens, areas outside schools, and public transportation stops. However, cafe terraces will not be subject to the new rules, and electronic cigarettes will also be excluded. According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 23.1% of the French population smokes on a daily basis – the lowest percentage ever recorded, and a fall of over five points since 2014. France's National Committee Against Smoking says more than 75,000 smokers die each year of tobacco-related illnesses – 13% of all deaths. Smoking in establishments like restaurants and nightclubs has been banned in France since 2008.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
France to ban smoking on beaches, parks and near schools
France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children, health and family minister Catherine Vautrin has said. The ban will come into force on 1 July and will include beaches, parks, public gardens, outside schools, bus stops and sports venues. "Tobacco must disappear where there are children," Vautrin said in an interview published by Ouest-France daily. Vautrin added that "the freedom to smoke must end where the freedom of children to breathe fresh air begins". The outdoor areas of cafes and bar - known as terrasses - will be exempt from the ban, she said. Vautrin explained that breaking the rules would incur a €135 (£113; $153) fine. She said regular police would enforce the ban but also added that she was a great believer in the "self-regulation". Although electronic cigarettes are exempt, Vautrin said that she was working to introduce limits on the amounts of nicotine they contain. According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 23.1% of the French population smokes on a daily basis - the lowest percentage ever recorded, and a fall of over five points since 2014. France's National Committee Against Smoking says more than 75,000 smokers die each year of tobacco-related illnesses - 13% of all deaths. Smoking in establishments like restaurants and nightclubs has been banned in France since 2008. Widespread measures to ban smoking on beaches, parks and other public places were meant to kick in in 2024, but the decree needed to was never adopted. However, more than 1,500 municipalities have already voluntarily banned smoking in public places, and hundreds of beaches across France have been non-smoking for severeal years. A recent report by France cancer association La Ligue Contre le Cancer shows almost 80% of French people are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places like woodland, beach, parks and terrasses. Too much smoking in French films, campaigners say France sets out plan to ban disposable vapes
Local France
16-03-2025
- Local France
French customs seize 800kg of cocaine from truck
Officers seized the 826 kilogrammes of drugs on Saturday just off the autoroute leading to the city of Lyon and arrested the truck's Polish driver, the source said. The intercepted cargo is estimated to be worth around 24 million euros ($26 million), based on an average wholesale price of 30,000 euros (more than $32,000) per kilo. A gramme is usually sold for around 58 euros ($63). In total, French customs seized 53.5 tonnes of cocaine last year, more than double the quantity for the previous year. Cocaine use has nearly doubled in France, according to one study. Some 1.1 million people used cocaine at least once in 2023, the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) said in a report in January. The previous report, released in 2022, put the number of users at 600,000. The new figures put France in seventh place in Europe in terms of cocaine consumption.
Daily Tribune
16-03-2025
- Daily Tribune
France customs seize 800kg of cocaine from truck
AFP | Paris, France French customs authorities have seized over 800 kilograms of cocaine from a truck at a highway rest area in southeastern France, a source close to the case confirmed on Sunday. The 826-kilogram haul was intercepted on Saturday near the autoroute leading to Lyon, with officers arresting the truck's Polish driver. The estimated street value of the seized cocaine is approximately €24 million ($26 million), based on a wholesale price of €30,000 (over $32,000) per kilogram. A gram typically sells for around €58 ($63). France has seen a significant rise in drug seizures, with customs authorities confiscating 53.5 tonnes of cocaine last year—more than double the amount seized in the previous year. Cocaine consumption in France has also surged. According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), 1.1 million people used cocaine at least once in 2023, nearly double the 600,000 reported in 2022. These figures place France as the seventh-highest consumer of cocaine in Europe.
