Smoking on beaches and in public parks across France has been officially banned from Sunday, under sweeping new rules designed to shield children from the dangers of passive smoking.
The legislation, which also applies to bus shelters and areas within 10 metres of schools, libraries, and swimming pools, was published in the official government gazette on Saturday and came into immediate effect, one day ahead of schedule. The move is part of a broader national effort to create a “tobacco-free generation” by 2032.
The timing of the ban, rolled out just one week before France’s school holidays begin, is no coincidence. Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin emphasised the aim is to “immediately protect children” in leisure areas. “A park, a beach, a school, these are places to play, learn, and breathe. Not for smoking,” she said.
Violators of the new ban risk fines of up to €135, which can rise to €700 for repeated or serious offences. The health ministry has said it will soon unveil official signage to indicate designated no-smoking zones.
While many anti-smoking campaigners have welcomed the new restrictions, some have expressed frustration that smoking is still permitted on bar and restaurant terraces, a common setting for smoking in France. The rules also fall short of including e-cigarettes, which critics argue are increasingly used to target young people through appealing flavours.
Yves Martinet, a pulmonologist and president of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), said the changes are “a step in the right direction, but remain insufficient”. “Children also go to the terraces,” he noted, expressing disappointment that these popular outdoor venues remain exempt.
The hospitality industry has defended the decision to keep terraces open to smokers. Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) for the Paris region, said banning smoking in such areas “would only shift the problem”, with smokers simply moving to nearby pavements.
Similarly, Franck Trouet of the Hotels and Restaurants of France (GHR) argued that “smokers and non-smokers can coexist” in terraces, calling them “the last places of conviviality and freedom”.
France’s efforts come amid encouraging signs of a gradual decline in smoking rates. According to the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), fewer than one in four adults aged 18 to 75 reported daily smoking in 2023, the lowest level since 2000.
Nonetheless, the toll remains high. Tobacco is responsible for around 75,000 deaths annually in France, with passive smoking alone contributing to an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 deaths each year. The social and economic cost of tobacco use is staggering, estimated at €156 billion per year when accounting for lost lives, healthcare, law enforcement, prevention, and reduced productivity.
A recent opinion poll revealed that 62% of French people support a wider ban on smoking in public spaces, suggesting the government’s latest move is in step with public sentiment, even if some believe it does not go far enough.
