France rolls out major new ban in public places from today

New regulations have been implemented in France in a bid to lower the risk of cancer.

Starting from Tuesday, July 1, France has prohibited smoking on beaches, parks, outside schools, and other public areas in an effort to reduce cancer risks and cultivate a tobacco-free generation.

In addition to beaches, parks, and school perimeters, the ban will also be enforced at bus stops, public gardens, spaces in front of libraries, swimming pools, sports facilities, and youth activity centres. However, cafe terraces are exempt from this rule, and it does not apply to electronic cigarettes.

According to the French Ministry of Health, tobacco consumption is responsible for 75,000 deaths in France each year, equating to 200 fatalities per day. The social cost of this habit amounts to 150 billion euros annually.

In 2023, it was reported that 15.6% of individuals aged 17 or older were daily smokers.

Philippe Bergerot, president of the League Against Cancer, told L'actualite that the goal of the ban is to instil in young people the notion that smoking is not normal. He argues that if youngsters do not regularly see others smoking, they will gradually quit or never take up the habit.

Environmental concerns

Beyond health implications, there are also environmental issues such as discarded cigarette butts littering the ground and sand. It's estimated that between 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes accumulate each year.

It might be a while before the public becomes fully aware of the new regulation. "In the first year, I think it will be quite difficult to impose penalties directly," remarked Corinne Denis, La Baule beach administrator, to Portuguese broadcaster Sic Noticias.

France is witnessing historically low levels of smoking, with a mere quarter of individuals aged 18 to 75 partaking daily, per a recent report from the French Observatory of Drugs and Addiction Trends - marking the lowest figures since record-keeping began in the late 1990s.

The UK enforces a ban on smoking within enclosed public spaces, while certain Spanish regions have extended this prohibition to beaches. Sweden has adopted even stricter measures by outlawing smoking in outdoor areas such as restaurant patios, bus stops, train platforms, and schoolyards since 2019.

In Portugal, lighting up in front of schools and hospitals has been forbidden since 2023. Further tightening regulations, January 2024 saw the introduction of new rules for vaping, equating e-cigarettes with conventional tobacco products.