Starting July 1, smoking will be prohibited in all outdoor public spaces children can access across France, announced French Minister of Labour, Health, and Family Catherine Vautrin. The new measure, part of France鈥檚 National Anti-Tobacco Programme 2023-2027, plans to create a 鈥渟moke-free generation鈥 by 2032.
Smoking will be banned on beaches, in parks, public gardens, around schools, at bus stops, and in sports facilities nationwide. 鈥淲here there could potentially be children, tobacco must disappear,鈥 Vautrin stated, stressing that the freedom to smoke 鈥渆nds where children鈥檚 right to breathe clean air begins.鈥 Those in violation of the new law face a 鈧135 fine.
Where is it still legal for the French to smoke?
The ban extends to anywhere near secondary schools to prevent students from being tempted to smoke outside school premises. However, it will not apply to caf茅 terraces, Vautrin clarified. The coffee and a cigarette watching the world go by, it seems, was considered too cherished in French culture to eliminate. The initiative builds on local experiments, with 1,600 municipalities already designating 7,000 smoke-free zones, including parks and beaches, supported by the French League Against Cancer. Philippe Bergerot, president of the League, noted that existing smoking bans in workplaces, public transport, and playgrounds are generally respected.
Public support for stricter smoking regulations is strong, with a League survey showing 62 per cent of French citizens favouring broader bans. Yves Martinet, president of the French National Anti-Tobacco Committee, says that smoke-free zones protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke, which 鈥渁lso kills鈥, and encourage smokers to quit by 鈥渄enormalising鈥 tobacco use.
While no new tobacco tax hikes are planned due to concerns over smuggling, Vautrin announced plans to reduce nicotine levels and flavours in tobacco products by mid-2026, pending scientific guidance. Tobacco use claims 75,000 lives annually in France and costs society 鈧156 billion yearly in healthcare, prevention, and lost productivity, according to the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Behaviours.