France will ban smoking in public outdoor spaces – including beaches, parks, school zones, bus stops and sports facilities – starting July 1 as part of a nationwide push to protect children, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin announced.
In an interview published Thursday by Ouest France, Vautrin declared, “Where there are children, tobacco must disappear,” adding plans to lower nicotine levels in vaping products and limit available flavors.
Anyone who violates the new smoking ban will face a fine of 135 euros ($153). The regulation will be enforced by municipal police.
“My goal is both simple and deeply ambitious: to ensure that children born in 2025 become the first smoke-free generation,” the minister said.
The new nationwide smoking restrictions, many already in place at the local level, are designed to support that vision, she said.
Outdoor seating at cafes and the use of e-cigarettes remain exempt from the ban.
Vautrin said the size of the area around schools where smoking will no longer be permitted is still being determined.
The regulation also aims to prevent students from leaving school buildings to smoke.
In 2023, 15.6% of 17-year-olds reported smoking, down from twice as many a decade earlier.
