France Bans Smoking on Beaches, in Public Parks

The French government has announced plans to ban smoking in public beaches, parks, school fronts, and other outdoor public spaces from 1 July.

The move aims to protect children and follows similar restrictions introduced across Europe amid growing public opposition to smoking.

The ban will exclude open-air café terraces and will not apply to electronic cigarettes. Scientific studies have shown significant public health benefits from prohibiting smoking in public areas.

Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin told *Ouest-France* newspaper, “Tobacco must disappear wherever children are present.”

She added, “From 1 July, beaches, public parks, playgrounds, school grounds, bus shelters, and sports facilities across France will be smoke-free, banning smoking in these areas to safeguard our children.”

Tobacco kills around 200 people daily in France, officials noted. A recent report from the French Observatory for Drugs and Addiction revealed that smoking rates in the country have reached historic lows.

The report indicated that fewer than one in four people aged 18 to 75 smoke daily, the lowest rate since records began in the late 1990s.

France follows the example of the UK, which implemented a similar ban last year, while certain Spanish regions have already prohibited smoking on beaches. 

Sweden has banned smoking in outdoor areas of restaurants, bus stops, train platforms, and schoolyards since 2019.