France will introduce a nationwide ban on smoking in public areas such as beaches, parks, outside schools, and other designated locations from 1 July, the government has announced. The move is aimed at safeguarding children from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.
The new measures, which reflect a broader European shift towards anti-smoking policies, will not apply to electronic cigarettes and will exempt outdoor café terraces.
“Where children are present, tobacco must disappear,” said Health and Families Minister Catherine Vautrin in an interview with Ouest France on Thursday evening.
“From 1 July, beaches, public parks and gardens, school zones, bus shelters, and sports facilities will all be designated smoke-free areas across France. Smoking will be prohibited in these locations to protect our children,” she stated.
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Vautrin noted that smoking is responsible for approximately 200 deaths every day in France.
According to a recent report by the French Observatory for Drugs and Addictive Trends, daily smoking rates in France have fallen to historic lows. Fewer than one in four adults aged 18 to 75 now smoke daily the lowest level since data collection began in the late 1990s.
The UK announced a similar ban in 2023, while some Spanish regions have already prohibited smoking on beaches. Sweden, meanwhile, has banned smoking in outdoor dining areas, at bus stops, on train platforms, and in school playgrounds since 2019.
