Govt To Ban Smoking In Public July 1
France will ban smoking in outdoor areas where children are likely to be present, starting July 1, 2025.
This includes beaches, parks, bus stops, school entrances, and sports venues.
The decision was made known by Health and Family Minister, Catherine Vautrin, on Thursday, May 29.
“Tobacco must disappear where there are children.
“The freedom to smoke stops where children’s right to breathe clean air starts,” Vautrin told Ouest-France newspaper.
The rule will also stop students from smoking in front of schools. Anyone who breaks the rule may be fined up to €135 ($154).
However, the ban does not apply to France’s famous outdoor cafe terraces or to electronic cigarettes.
France already bans smoking in many public places like workplaces, airports, train stations, and playgrounds.
Anti-smoking groups have long called for wider restrictions.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 35 per cent of France’s population smokes—more than the average in Europe (25 per cent) and around the world (21 per cent).
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
