France to ban smoking in outdoor spaces
France will enforce a new ban on smoking in several outdoor public spaces starting July 1, 2025, targeting areas frequently accessed by children. Under the new regulations, smoking will be prohibited on beaches, in public parks and gardens, near schools, at bus shelters, and at sports facilities. This move is part of the government's broader efforts to protect children from the harms of secondhand smoke and deter tobacco normalization among youth.
The measure exempts smoking on café terraces and does not cover electronic cigarettes, though there are plans to regulate vaping separately. Violators of the new rules will be fined up to €135 (approximately $154). The decision follows similar restrictions implemented across Europe; the UK introduced a comparable ban last year, and several Spanish regions, as well as Sweden, have enacted similar prohibitions in various outdoor settings.
According to the Health Ministry, smoking is responsible for nearly 200 deaths every day in France, underscoring the public health impetus behind the ban. Smoking rates in France have reached historic lows, with just under 25% of people aged 18-75 smoking daily, a decline noted in a recent report by the French Observatory for Drugs and Addictive Trends.
This initiative is a key element of France's National Anti-Tobacco Programme for 2023–2027, which aims to establish a tobacco-free generation by 2032. Alongside the smoking ban, the programme includes measures to reduce nicotine levels in electronic smoking devices and to limit the number of available flavours, thereby making these products less attractive to young people.
Public support for the ban is robust, with 62% of French citizens in favor of prohibiting smoking in public places.
