Latest news with #childrenProtection
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
France implements smoking ban at beaches and parks in step towards ‘tobacco-free generation'
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 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 smoke. 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 10 metres of schools, swimming pools, libraries and other places where smoking could hurt minors. The health ministry said it would soon 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. '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. Yves Martinet, president of the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), said the ban was 'a step in the right direction, but remains insufficient', criticising the continued permission to smoke on cafe terraces. 'The minister points to the protection of children,' but children 'also go to the terraces', said Martinet, who is a pulmonologist. He lamented the absence of e-cigarettes from the text, saying flavours are used to 'hook young people'. 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'. Franck Trouet, of the hospitality association Hotels and Restaurants of France (GHR), said 'smokers and non-smokers can coexist' on terraces, the 'last places of conviviality and freedom'. 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 156bn euros annually, counting factors including lost lives, quality of life, productivity, prevention, law enforcement and healthcare. According to a recent opinion survey, 62% of French people favour a smoking ban in public places.
CNA
09-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
EU working on new guidelines to better protect children online
The European Union is working on new guidelines to protect children online. Lawmakers say the online safety of children is a top priority, but as William Denselow reports from Brussels, stricter guidelines could also worsen tensions with Silicon Valley and the US administration.
The Sun
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Children face new social media BAN including ‘two-hour app limit' and curfew in plans to limit time spent on smartphones
CHILDREN face being hit with restrictions on the amount of time they spend on their smartphones under new plans. Curbs such as a two-hour limit per app and a 10pm curfew could be brought in to boost online safety, a Cabinet Minister has indicated. 1 But the move was heavily criticised by campaigners who warned 'sticking plasters' won't be enough to toughen up current laws. It comes after The Sun told this week that one Year 6 class - aged 10 and 11 - had exchanged 9,000 messages in a single night. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle gave a clear sign he is considering bringing in an 'app cap' for children to tackle big tech firms. He said: 'I'm looking at things that prevent healthy activity, I'm looking at some of the addictive nature of some of the apps and smartphones. "I'm trying to think how we can break some of the addictive behaviour and incentivise more of the healthy developmental and also the good communicative side of online life." Tech firms will be have to follow regulator Ofcom's code of conduct to keep users safe online, especially children. Substantial fines and blocking sites are among the penalties for those caught breaking the rules – but campaigners warn this gives the firms the ability to regulate themselves. Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly took her own life aged 14 after viewing harmful content on social media, hit out at the plans saying Ministers must 'act decisively'. He said: "Every day the Government has delayed bringing in tougher online safety laws we've seen more young lives lost and damaged because of weak regulation and inaction by big tech. "Parents up and down the country would be delighted to see the Prime Minister act decisively to quell the tsunami of harm children face online, but sticking plasters will not do the job. Mr Russell added: "Only a stronger and more effective Online Safety Act will finally change the dial on fundamentally unsafe products and business models that prioritise engagement over safety."
