In a bid to safeguard public health, especially children, France will begin enforcing a nationwide ban on smoking in several public spaces starting Sunday.
The new regulation prohibits smoking on beaches, in public parks and gardens, and in bus shelters, as well as outside schools, swimming pools, and libraries.
The decree, published in the government’s official gazette on Saturday is part of a broader initiative to curb passive smoking and reduce tobacco-related health risks.
While the ban applies to traditional cigarettes, it notably does not mention electronic cigarettes. The French government reports that around 75,000 people die annually from tobacco-related complications in the country.
Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children,” Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin had said in May, underscoring “the right of children to breathe pure air”.
