France bans outdoor smoking: Parks, beaches, schools included; cites child safety

Representative image (AI-generated)

France will ban smoking on beaches, in parks, public gardens, and bus shelters from Sunday, the government announced. The decree, published in the official govt gazette on Saturday, also prohibits smoking outside libraries, swimming pools, and schools to protect children from passive smoking. The decree does not mention electronic cigarettes. Individuals who violate the ban will face a fine of 135 euros ($158). “Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children,” Health and Family minister Catherine Vautrin had saidd in May, emphasising “the right of children to breathe pure air,” reported the AFP.Cafe terraces are excluded from the ban. Approximately 75,000 people die each year in France from tobacco-related complications. According to a recent opinion survey, 62 percent of French people favour a smoking ban in public places.