France to ban smoking in parks, beaches, near schools
France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country.
In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public.
In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance.
The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said.
"We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people."
It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008.
Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22).
Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally.
The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke.
Black market cigarette trading is common.
More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year.
In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed.
Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants.
But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive".
The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy.
"I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks."
The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1.
The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days.
Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban.
Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces.
Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban.
France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country.
In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public.
In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance.
The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said.
"We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people."
It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008.
Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22).
Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally.
The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke.
Black market cigarette trading is common.
More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year.
In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed.
Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants.
But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive".
The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy.
"I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks."
The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1.
The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days.
Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban.
Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces.
Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban.
France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country.
In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public.
In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance.
The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said.
"We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people."
It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008.
Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22).
Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally.
The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke.
Black market cigarette trading is common.
More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year.
In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed.
Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants.
But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive".
The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy.
"I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks."
The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1.
The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days.
Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban.
Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces.
Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban.
France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country.
In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public.
In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance.
The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said.
"We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people."
It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008.
Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22).
Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally.
The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke.
Black market cigarette trading is common.
More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year.
In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed.
Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants.
But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive".
The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy.
"I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks."
The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1.
The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days.
Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban.
Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces.
Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban.
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News.com.au
18 hours ago
- News.com.au
France imposes smoking ban on beaches, parks
France on Sunday banned smoking in parks and on beaches, part of efforts to protect the public from passive smoke and create the country's first non-smoking generation. The ban, published in the official government gazette on Saturday, also applies to bus shelters and areas near libraries, swimming pools and schools. It was introduced one week before the start of school holidays, aiming to shield children from smoke on beaches. The rules do not apply to bar and restaurant terraces, where smoking remains permitted. They also do not apply to electronic cigarettes. On a beach packed with sunbathers and sloping into the crashing Atlantic surf in southwestern France, opinions on the new rules were mixed as smokers puffed away without apparent fear of reprimand. "Frankly, I think it's ridiculous. We bring our own ashtrays and we're no longer allowed to smoke in parks, on beaches and so on," said Damien Dupois, a smoker. But Romain Boonaert, a non-smoker enjoying the beach in La Porge outside Bordeaux, welcomed the move. "There's plenty of space, but it's never pleasant when you get a little smoke on you. And then some people smoke other things too, so at least it takes away all the trouble." - 'Tobacco-free generation' - According to the new rules, people should also not smoke within a 10 metres radius of schools, swimming pools, libraries and other places that hurt minors. The health ministry said it would announce the minimum distance for smoking in these areas in the coming days. Those who violate the ban could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. The health ministry is expecting an initial grace period as the new rules are introduced. "Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children. A park, a beach, a school -- these are places to play, learn, and breathe. Not for smoking," Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin said. She said the ban was part of France's push for a "tobacco-free generation" by 2032. - 'It must be clear' - The ban "is a step in the right direction, but remains insufficient," said Yves Martinet, president of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), criticising the continued permission to smoke on cafe terraces. "The minister points to the protection of children," but children "also go to the terraces," Martinet, a pulmonologist, said. He lamented the absence of e-cigarettes from the text, saying flavours are used to "hook young people". "For a measure to be effective, it must be clear -- no consumption of products containing tobacco or nicotine in public," Martinet said. But Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) for the Paris region, said a ban on smoking on cafe terraces "would only shift the problem because people on terraces would go smoke next to these establishments". "Smokers and non-smokers can coexist" on terraces, the "last places of conviviality and freedom," said Franck Trouet, of hospitality association Hotels and Restaurants of France (GHR). Passive smoking causes between 3,000 and 5,000 deaths annually in France, according to official estimates. Smoking is steadily declining in France with "the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000", according to the French addiction agency OFDT. Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 75 smoked daily in 2023. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths a year and costs society 156 billion euros annually, the agency said. A recent survey found 62 percent of French respondents support a smoking ban in public spaces.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Senior Hamas figure behind Oct 7 attack killed: Israel
The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
France to ban smoking in parks, beaches, near schools
France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country. In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public. In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance. The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said. "We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people." It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008. Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22). Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally. The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke. Black market cigarette trading is common. More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year. In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed. Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants. But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive". The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy. "I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks." The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1. The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days. Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban. Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces. Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban. France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country. In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public. In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance. The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said. "We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people." It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008. Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22). Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally. The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke. Black market cigarette trading is common. More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year. In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed. Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants. But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive". The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy. "I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks." The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1. The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days. Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban. Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces. Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban. France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country. In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public. In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance. The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said. "We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people." It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008. Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22). Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally. The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke. Black market cigarette trading is common. More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year. In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed. Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants. But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive". The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy. "I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks." The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1. The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days. Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban. Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces. Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban. France has introduced a new smoking ban to curb tobacco use, a long-standing issue in the country. In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools and anywhere children could gather in public. In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance. The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said. "We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people." It has been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008. Ever-higher taxes mean a pack now costs upwards of 12 euros ($A22). Yet more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily, one of the higher rates in Europe and globally. The Health Ministry is particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke. Black market cigarette trading is common. More than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a statement on Saturday - which adds up to 75,000 deaths per year. In a Paris park as the ban loomed, views were mixed. Parisian Natacha Uzan welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants. But she said: '"Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive". The broader ban is a "good thing" for Anabelle Cermell, mother of a three-month-old boy. "I tell myself, oh, it's really not ideal for him but there's not much I can do about it, or I would have to ... not take the bus, not go to parks." The government said last month that the new ban would take effect on July 1. The official decree introducing the ban was published on Saturday, and a health minister's statement said that a government order specifying the perimeters set by the ban would be published in the coming days. Electronic cigarettes are exempt from the new ban. Other European countries have gone farther: the United Kingdom and Sweden have tightened smoking regulations in public spaces. Spain is extending its smoking ban to café and restaurant terraces, which are exempt from France's new ban.
