France bans smoking on beaches, in parks and bus shelters
28 June 2025 11:12
PARIS (AFP)France will ban smoking on beaches and in parks, public gardens and bus shelters from Sunday, the government said.The decree, published in the official government gazette on Saturday, will also ban smoking outside libraries, swimming pools and schools, and is aimed at protecting children from passive smoking.The decree did not mention electronic cigarettes. Violaters of the ban will face a fine of 135 euros ($158).'Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children,' Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin had said in May, underscoring 'the right of children to breathe pure air.'Cafe terraces are excluded from the ban.Some 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 percent) favor a smoking ban in public places.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
5 hours ago
- Al Etihad
France bans smoking on beaches, in parks and bus shelters
28 June 2025 11:12 PARIS (AFP)France will ban smoking on beaches and in parks, public gardens and bus shelters from Sunday, the government decree, published in the official government gazette on Saturday, will also ban smoking outside libraries, swimming pools and schools, and is aimed at protecting children from passive decree did not mention electronic cigarettes. Violaters of the ban will face a fine of 135 euros ($158).'Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children,' Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin had said in May, underscoring 'the right of children to breathe pure air.'Cafe terraces are excluded from the 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 percent) favor a smoking ban in public places.
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Matcha: The Japanese tea taking over the world
Caroline Gardin, with Romain Fonsegrives in Los Angeles Matcha is the new drink of choice at hip cafes worldwide, but Japanese producers are struggling to keep up with soaring demand for the powdered green tea. Here's what you need to know about the drink beloved of weekend treat-seekers and "wellness" influencers: What is matcha? The word matcha means "ground tea" in Japanese and comes in the form of a vivid green powder that is whisked with hot water and can be added to milk to make a matcha latte. Green tea was introduced to Japan from China in the early ninth century, and was first used for medicinal purposes. Matcha came much later, in 16th century Kyoto -- part of the tea ceremony tradition developed by tea master Sen no Rikyu. Today, there are different grades of matcha quality, from "ceremonial" to "culinary" types used in baking. The word matcha means "ground tea" in Japanese, and comes in the form of a vivid green powder that is whisked with hot water and can be added to milk to make a matcha latte. AFP How is it produced? Matcha is made from leaves called "tencha", which are grown in the shade in the final weeks before their harvest to concentrate the flavour, colour and nutrients. This "requires the construction of a complex structure with poles and a roof to filter the light", explained Masahiro Okutomi, a tea producer in Sayama, northwest of Tokyo. Tencha leaves, rich in chlorophyll and L-theanine, a compound known for its relaxing effects, are hand-picked and deveined, then steamed, dried and ground between two stone mills to produce an ultra-fine powder. It can take up to an hour to produce just 40 grams (1.4 ounces) of matcha -- making the powder on average twice as expensive to produce as standard green tea leaves. This picture shows bags of tea in a tea processing factory in Sayama. AFP What are its benefits? Many drink matcha for its rich grass-like taste, but others are drawn to the drink's nutritional properties. It is rich in antioxidants, and can aid concentration because of its caffeine content: one cup contains on average 48 milligrams, slightly less than a drip coffee but nearly twice as much as a standardly brewed green tea. "Matcha is often seen as being good for your health," said Shigehito Nishikida, manager of Tokyo tea shop Jugetsudo. "But people are also attracted to the Japanese culture around tea: the ritual, the time taken, the aesthetics," he said. This Photo shows Matcha with its deep grassy aroma and intense colour. AFP Why is it so popular? Japan produced 4,176 tonnes of matcha in 2023 -- a huge increase from the 1,430 tonnes in 2012. More than half of the powder is exported, according to the agriculture ministry, mostly to the United States, Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. Millions of videos on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube demonstrate how to make photogenic matcha drinks or choose a traditional "chasen" bamboo whisk. This picture shows a bowl of matcha, at a shop in Tokyo. AFP "I feel like Gen Z really drove this enthusiasm for matcha, and they heavily relied on social media to do so," Stevie Youssef, a 31-year-old marketing professional, told AFP at a matcha bar in Los Angeles. Matcha can also be used in cooking, extending its appeal to others aside from tea lovers. "Some customers simply enjoy drinking it, others like preparing it themselves. And of course, many buy it as a gift -- Japanese matcha is always appreciated," said Jugetsudo's Nishikida. Agence France Presse
Al Etihad
4 days ago
- Al Etihad
France ordered to compensate family of jogger killed by toxic algae
24 June 2025 19:34 RENNES, FRANCE (AFP)A French court on Tuesday ordered the state to compensate the family of a 50-year-old man who died in 2016 during a run after inhaling poisonous gas emitted by rotting green algae piled along the country's western Nantes appeals court found France liable for the death of Jean-Rene Auffray, citing its "negligence" in enforcing environmental regulations to protect its waters and prevent toxic green algae more than five decades, tons of green algae have washed up annually on Brittany's beaches in western France, releasing hydrogen sulphide gas as it rots - a toxin that can prove deadly in high a keen trail runner, died of sudden respiratory failure while jogging in the algae-choked Gouessant estuary near the city of family sued over his death, but in 2022 a court rejected the claim, ruling there was insufficient evidence to link the toxic algae to Auffray's decision reversed that ruling, marking the first time France has been held liable for the health risks posed by deadly green algae blooms along its court "holds the State liable for negligence due to its failure to implement European and national regulations designed to protect waters from agricultural pollution", which is "the main cause of the proliferation of green algae in Brittany", it explained in a court found Auffray's death was caused by a rapid pulmonary oedema -- a condition in which there is too much fluid in the lungs -- which could only be explained by fatal poisoning from inhaling hydrogen sulphide at very high deceased's family will receive partial compensation, as the court found the state 60 percent liable, noting that he had taken a personal risk by jogging in the state has been ordered to pay 277,343 euros ($321,750) to the jogger's wife, 15,000 euros to each of his three children, and 9,000 euros to his to a 2021 report from France's top audit court, around 90 percent of Brittany's algae blooms are caused by agriculture, where the use of nitrogen fertilisers has increased significantly since the 1960s. Intensive farming and the resulting nitrate pollution have been linked to the spread of green algae in the western Cotes-d'Armor region.
