Smoking is banned from Sunday in parks and on beaches across France. The new rules also extend the ban to areas near schools, open spaces around sports facilities and libraries, as well as public transportation waiting stations, IPN reports citing Digi24.
People caught smoking in these premises risk fines. Although the exact amount has not been officially announced, French health minister Catherine Vautrin previously said the penalty could be around €135.
The ban does not apply to e-cigarettes and smoking remains allowed on the terraces of bars, restaurants and cafes. In France, known as a nation of smokers, smoking has long been banned in schools and schoolyards, public transportation, enclosed public spaces, offices and playgrounds. According to the French Center for the Monitoring of Drugs and Addictions, the number of smokers in 2023 was 30% lower than in 2000.
