France will ban smoking in all outdoor places where children can visit – said Minister of Health and Family Catherine Vautrin.
The ban will come into effect on July 1 and will include beaches, parks, public gardens, areas in front of schools, bus stops and sports facilities.
“Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” Vautrin said in an interview published by the Ouest-France daily, as reported by the BBC.
She added that “freedom to smoke must end where children’s freedom to breathe fresh air begins.”
The outdoor areas of cafes and bars, known as terraces, will be exempt from the ban, she said. Violation of the rules will result in a fine of 135 euros.
Regular police will enforce the ban, but Vautrin adds that he firmly believes in “self-regulation”.
Although electronic cigarettes are exempt, she stated that she is working to introduce limits on the amount of nicotine they contain.
According to the French Center for Monitoring Drugs and Drug Addiction, 23.1 percent of the French population smokes daily, the lowest percentage ever recorded and a drop of more than five percent since 2014.
France’s National Committee against Smoking says more than 75,000 smokers die each year from tobacco-related diseases – 13 percent of all deaths.
