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CBC
2 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
France has banned smoking in parks, beaches and bus stops — but not restaurant patios
Depending on who you ask, France's decision to exclude restaurant patios and terraces from its outdoor smoking ban is either a gross oversight, or a necessary preservation of French culture and liberty. On Saturday, the country enacted a new ban on outdoor smoking at parks, sports venues, beaches, bus stops and outside schools, with fines of between 90 and 135 euros ($144 to $216 Cdn). The government aims to curb cigarette use anywhere children gather in public, in line with President Emmanuel Macron's goal of ushering in the country's first "tobacco-free generation" by 2032. Anti-smoking advocates welcomed the new rules, but derided the exclusion of restaurant and cafe patios and terraces, places they say are popular with families. "These places regularly expose children to second-hand smoke and contribute precisely to the normalization of tobacco consumption in public spaces," the National Committee Against Smoking said in a statement. But those who work in the food and drinks industry have vowed to do everything they can to keep the ban from reaching their outdoor tables. "We really want to protect these last spaces of liberty, of freedom, where people — I mean smokers and non-smokers — are able to enjoy together a friendly and free atmosphere with a lot of pleasure," Franck Trouet, executive director of hospitality association Hotels and Restaurants of France, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "It is one of the last spaces in France where you can have a cohabitation between smokers and non-smokers, and people are asking for that." The goal is 'denormalization' Philippe Bergerot, president of the French League Against Cancer, says the new restrictions are designed to promote the "denormalization" of smoking. That's a huge challenge in a country where smoking is baked into the culture, romanticized in the media and seen to many as a symbol of liberty. "In people's minds, smoking is normal," Bergerot said. "In France, we still have this mindset of saying, 'This is a law that restricts freedom.'" But Health Minister Catherine Vautrin says the freedom to smoke "ends where children's right to breathe fresh air begins." While second-hand smoke in enclosed spaces poses a greater risk, a number of studies have linked second-hand smoke in outdoor spaces to increased nicotine exposure and other negative health effects. "Where there are children, tobacco must disappear," Vautrin told Ouest-France ahead of the ban. Smoking has been declining in France steadily over the last decade, according to government data. It's been illegal to smoke inside restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans in 2007 and 2008, and taxes on cigarettes have risen sharply over the years. But more than 30 per cent of French adults still smoke cigarettes, most of them daily. That's one of the higher rates in Europe and globally. The Health Ministry says more than 200 people in France die each day of tobacco-related illness, adding up to 75,000 deaths a year. The ministry says it's particularly concerned that tobacco remains popular among young people, citing public health statistics showing that 15 per cent of 17-year-olds smoke. Parisians divided French residents, meanwhile, remain divided. Parisian Natacha Uzan said she welcomed the end of smoking in restaurants, but she believes the new rules have gone too far. "Now outside, in parks, I find it becoming a bit repressive," she said. Parisian Anabelle Cermell, on the other hand, welcomed the rules, which she says will protect her three-year-old son. "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," she said. Trouet worries that banning cigarettes in parks and beaches is just the first step, and that terraces and patios will be targeted next. If that happens, he says customers who smoke will be forced onto the streets, causing a nuisance for passersby and littering the city. Still, he acknowledged that some non-smoking customers are irritated by the second-hand smoke on patios and terraces. "I see that sometimes, and I always answer the same thing: It belongs to the owner of the cafe or the restaurant to decide if he wants to ban smoking on his terrace. He has the right," Trouet said. "It is a question of freedom, of liberty, as we say in France."


BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
France bans smoking in parks and on beaches
Smoking has been banned in parks, on beaches and outside schools in France to try to protect ban has come into place just a week before schools in the country break for the summer also stops people from smoking in public gardens, in bus stops and in sports Vautrin, who is the Health and Family Minister in France, said, "tobacco must disappear from places where there are children". The ban doesn't apply to electronic cigarettes like vapes were banned in the UK in June - something which was also brought in to protect children's health. Yves Martinet is the president of the National Committee Against Smoking. He said the ban is a "step in the right direction" but doesn't go far felt that e-cigarettes should have been included, saying that their flavours are used to "hook young people". The new rules do not apply to the terraces outside of restaurants and they do stop people smoking within 10 metres of schools, swimming pools and Vautrin said the move was part of the country's aim of a "tobacco-free generation" by the year said the areas covered by the ban are "places to play, learn, and breathe," not places for smoking.


Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
France imposes smoking ban on beaches, parks
Anyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park in France will be breaking the law from Sunday under new rules aimed at protecting children from the dangers of passive smoking. Bus shelters and areas in the immediate vicinity of libraries, swimming pools and schools will also be affected by the ban, which is coming into force one day after its publication in the official government gazette on Saturday. The rule is being imposed one week before the beginning of the school holidays in France in a clear bid to immediately protect children from smoke on the beach. However, to the disappointment of some anti-tobacco activists, the ban does not cover the terraces of bars and restaurants where many French still happily light up. They are also unhappy that the ban does not apply to electronic cigarettes. The rules had initially been expected to come into force on Tuesday after a previous announcement by the health ministry but the publication in the official gazette means this has now been brought forward to Sunday. 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 as well as reveal the sign used to designate such areas. Violators of the ban could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. However the health ministry is expecting an initial grace period as the new rules are explained. "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. This is another step "towards a tobacco-free generation", she added, which France is targeting from 2032. 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). In France, passive exposure to tobacco smoke causes 3,000 to 5,000 deaths per year, according to official figures. Smoking is steadily declining in France with "the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000", according to France addiction agency the OFDT. Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 75 reported smoking daily in 2023, according to the agency. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths per year in France and, again according to the OFDT, costs society 156 billion euros annually, counting factors including lost lives, quality of life, productivity, prevention, law enforcement, and healthcare.


Mint
3 days ago
- Health
- Mint
France implements smoking ban at beaches and parks — Check details
France on Sunday banned smoking in public areas such as parks and beaches, aiming to protect the crowd from passive smoke and create the country's first non-smoking generation. The ban also applies to bus shelters and areas near libraries, swimming pools and schools, AFP reported. The initiative was introduced one week before the start of school holidays in order to shield children from smoke on beaches. However, the rules do not apply to all public spaces, which includes bar and restaurant terraces. The rule also does not apply to electronic cigarettes. "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. On the other hand, 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.' According to the new rules, people should also not smoke within a 10 metres radius of schools, swimming pools, libraries and other places that can hurt minors. Those who violate the ban could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. The punishment will be applicable after the initial grace period gets over. "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. Vautrin said the ban was part of France's push for a "tobacco-free generation" by 2032. 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. Martinet also emphasised on 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," he said. However Frank Delvau, president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) for the Paris region had a different opinion about smoking on terraces. He said a ban on smoking on cafe terraces "would only shift the problem because people on terraces would smoke next to these establishments". Direct smoking is known to cause death, however as official data suggests, even passive smoking can be fatal as it causes anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 deaths annually in France. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths a year and costs society 156 billion euros annually, the agency said. 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. A recent survey found 62% of French respondents support a smoking ban in public spaces, the news agency said.


New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
France imposes smoking ban on beaches, parks
PARIS: Anyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park in France will be breaking the law from Sunday under new rules aimed at protecting children from the dangers of passive smoking. Bus shelters and areas in the immediate vicinity of libraries, swimming pools and schools will also be affected by the ban, which is coming into force one day after its publication in the official government gazette on Saturday. The rule is being imposed one week before the beginning of the school holidays in France in a clear bid to immediately protect children from smoke on the beach. However, to the disappointment of some anti-tobacco activists, the ban does not cover the terraces of bars and restaurants where many French still happily light up. They are also unhappy that the ban does not apply to electronic cigarettes. The rules had initially been expected to come into force on Tuesday after a previous announcement by the health ministry but the publication in the official gazette means this has now been brought forward to Sunday. 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 as well as reveal the sign used to designate such areas. Violators of the ban could face a fine of 135 euros (US$160) up to a maximum of 700 euros. However the health ministry is expecting an initial grace period as the new rules are explained. "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. This is another step "towards a tobacco-free generation", she added, which France is targeting from 2032. 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). In France, passive exposure to tobacco smoke causes 3,000 to 5,000 deaths per year, according to official figures. Smoking is steadily declining in France with "the lowest prevalence ever recorded since 2000", according to France addiction agency the OFDT. Less than a quarter of adults aged 18 to 75 reported smoking daily in 2023, according to the agency. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths per year in France and, again according to the OFDT, costs society 156 billion euros annually, counting factors including lost lives, quality of life, productivity, prevention, law enforcement, and healthcare.