France's new law protects children from second-hand smoke
Protecting children from smoke
Catherine Vautrin, France's health and families minister, said smoking kills around 200 people every day in the country.
'Where there are children, tobacco must disappear,' she said.
Children are frequently exposed to second-hand smoke. This type of smoke is smoke you do not mean to breathe in. It is produced when a tobacco product burns or when a smoker exhales. Even small amounts of second-hand smoke can cause harm.
The only way to completely protect people who do not smoke is to get rid of smoking in public spaces.
No more smoke
According to a report published in May, smoking is actually at a historic low in France. Less than a quarter of French people aged 18 to 75 smoke daily. This is the lowest it has been since the late 1990s.
The United Kingdom announced a similar smoking ban last year.
According to the World Health Organization, Ireland was the first nation to ban smoking. In 2004, the country passed a law that stopped people from smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars.
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