From July 1, smoking will be banned on beaches, in parks, and near schools, announces Teknomers.

The  French government  plans to ban smoking in outdoor public places where  children  may be present. This includes locations such as “beaches, public parks, public gardens, areas around schools, bus shelters, and sports facilities”, according to  Catherine Vautrin , the Minister of Labor, Health, Solidarity, and Families, in an interview with the  Ouest-France  newspaper.

“Wherever there are children, tobacco must disappear”, stated Minister Vautrin, specifying that the ban will take effect on July 1.

Failure to comply with the ban “will result in a contravention of the 4th class, equivalent to 135 euros”, added Vautrin, who emphasized that the freedom to smoke “ends where the right of children to breathe clean air begins”.

Vautrin mentioned that the specific perimeter of the ban around schools will be detailed in the implementing decree. “We are currently determining this with the Council of State, and we will trust local officials to implement it pragmatically”, she continued.

Café Terraces and E-Cigarettes Exempted

Middle and high schools will also be included under this ban to prevent “middle and high school students from smoking in front of their establishments”. However, the ban will not apply to café terraces or e-cigarettes.

When questioned by  Ouest-France  about a potential increase in taxes on tobacco and cigarettes, Vautrin stated that no additional rise is planned “at this moment”. “On this issue, I am cautious when I see the devastation caused by tobacco smuggling, and I want to support the diversification of activities for tobacconists, as these local businesses are essential”, she explained.

The Health Minister aims, however, to achieve a  reduction  in the allowed  nicotine levels  in these products and limit the number of  flavors . “I need scientific and technical advice to finalize the details” of these measures, expected to take effect “by the end of the first half of 2026”, she stated.

The generalization of  smoke-free  areas, as announced by Vautrin, is part of the measures outlined in the  National Tobacco Control Program (PNLT) 2023-2027 , presented previously by the former Health Minister  Aurélien Rousseau , with the ambition of “meeting the challenge of a generation free from tobacco by 2032”.

Anti-smoking organizations expressed concern over the delay in seeing concrete government decisions. Eager to act,  1,600 willing municipalities  have already expanded the smoking ban in public areas to parks, beaches, ski slopes, and school perimeters, totaling  7,000 smoke-free spaces  in local experiments supported by the  Cancer League . According to a survey published by the Cancer League, six out of ten French citizens (62%) favor a broader smoking ban in public spaces.

Smoking causes the death of  75,000 people  annually in France. According to figures from the  French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Behaviors , it costs  156 billion euros per year  to French society (due to loss of life, quality of life, productivity loss, public spending on prevention, repression, healthcare…), while alcohol costs  102 billion euros .