France to ban smoking outdoors in most places: minister

France would ban smoking in all outdoor places that could be accessed by children — including beaches, parks and bus stops, the health and family minister announced on Thursday.

Famed as a country where smokers linger over cigarettes on cafe terraces or strolling down cobblestone streets, France increasingly tightened restrictions on tobacco use in public spaces in recent years.

The new ban — which would enter into force on July 1 — would cover all spaces where children could be present, including "beaches, parks, public gardens, outside of schools, bus stops and sports venues", said the Minister Catherine Vautrin.

"Tobacco must disappear where there are children," Vautrin said in an interview published by the regional Ouest-France daily on its website.

The freedom to smoke "stops where children’s right to breathe clean air starts," she said.

The ban would also extend to schools in order to stop students smoking in front of them.

Offenders face a fine of up to 135 euros, Vautrin said.

Cafe terraces escape ban

The ban, however, would not extend to France’s iconic cafe terraces, the minister said.

Electronic cigarettes — which boomed in France in the recent years — were also not covered.

France already forbade smoking in public spaces such as workplaces, airports train stations, and playgrounds.

Anti-smoking groups had been fighting for a broader ban.

An estimated 35% of France’s population are smokers — higher than the averages for Europe [25%] and the world [21%], according to the World Health Organisation.

Around 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications each year in France.

According to a recent opinion survey, six out of 10 French people (62%) favour banning smoking in public places.

Tobacco-free generation

The government’s National Anti-Tobacco Programme for 2023 to 2027 proposed a smoking ban similar to the one announced by Vautrin, calling France to "rise to the challenge of a tobacco-free generation from 2032".

But anti-tobacco organisations had voiced concern that the authorities were dragging their feet on implementing the measures.

More than 1,500 cities and villages had already imposed their own bans on smoking in public spaces such as parks, beaches and ski slopes.

Vautrin said there were no plans to place additional taxes on cigarettes "at the moment", citing the thriving black market that emerged after existing taxes were introduced in a bid to discourage smoking.