France to Implement Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces to Protect Children

Beginning July 1, France will ban smoking in parks, beaches, and near schools to enhance children's access to fresh air.

In a significant move towards promoting public health, France has announced a ban on smoking in outdoor areas frequented by children, according to Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin. Set to commence on July 1, 2024, this ban will extend to beaches, parks, public gardens, school surroundings, bus stops, and sports venues. “Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Vautrin stated in an interview with Ouest-France, emphasizing the urgent need to prioritize children's right to clean air over smoking freedoms.

Freelancers smoking in these designated areas will face penalties, with fines set at €135 ($153). While regular police forces will be tasked with enforcing the new regulations, Vautrin expressed her belief in the effectiveness of community self-regulation in tackling smoking. Notably, areas like outdoor cafés and bars (referred to as terrasses) will remain exempt from the ban.

Despite electronic cigarettes being excluded from this prohibition, Vautrin indicated that she is actively working towards regulating nicotine levels in these devices. Recent statistics from the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction reveal that 23.1% of the French population smokes daily, marking the lowest historical percentage and a decrease of over five points since 2014.

With tobacco-related illnesses claiming more than 75,000 lives annually in France, representing 13% of total deaths, the urgency for reform has intensified. Smoking has already been forbidden in indoor venues such as restaurants and nightclubs since 2008.

Although comprehensive efforts to prohibit smoking in public spaces were initially projected for 2024, the required decree was never finalized. Nonetheless, over 1,500 French municipalities have voluntarily enacted smoking bans in public areas, with many beaches adopting similar policies in recent years. A report from La Ligue Contre le Cancer highlighted that nearly 80% of the French populace supports restrictions on smoking in public areas, including beaches and parks, energizing the movement for a tobacco-free environment.