• Ban
• France
• Public Smoking

FRANCE TO BAN SMOKING IN OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACES TO PROTECT CHILDREN

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  CapitalTimesNews / 1 month
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• 2 min read

France is set to implement one of its most sweeping smoking bans yet, outlawing smoking in virtually all outdoor public areas where children may gather, including beaches, parks, gardens, playgrounds, sports venues, school entrances, and bus stops. The new restrictions, announced by Health Minister Catherine Vautrin, will come into effect on July 1 and carry a fine of up to €135 for violators. “Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Vautrin emphasized, adding that “the freedom to smoke stops where children’s right to breathe clean air starts.” The minister’s goal is ambitious: to ensure that children born in 2025 become the first smoke-free generation. The decision reflects a deeper cultural shift in France, where smoking has long been a defining aspect of identity, fashion, and cinema. French films frequently feature smoking scenes, with over 90% of movies from 2015 to 2019 showcasing smoking, more than double the rate in Hollywood productions. According to France’s public health authorities, around 75,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses each year. While smoking rates have dipped recently, with fewer than 25% of French adults smoking daily, the habit remains prevalent among young people and the urban chic. Reactions to the ban are mixed, with some embracing the move as a necessary public health measure. “It’s about time. I don’t want my kids growing up thinking smoke is romantic,” said Clémence Laurent, a 34-year-old fashion buyer. Others, however, see it as an attack on French culture. “Smoking has always been part of our culture. Take away cigarettes and what do we have left? Kale smoothies?” scoffed Luc Baudry, a 53-year-old vintage dealer. The ban mirrors broader European trends, with countries like Britain, Spain, and Sweden implementing significant smoking bans in public spaces. Electronic cigarettes, however, are exempt from the ban, with some, like literature student Thomas Bouchard, seeing them as a compromise. “Maybe vaping’s our compromise. A little less sexy, perhaps. But fewer wrinkles too,” he said, exhaling gently.