New rules effective Sunday ban smoking in public parks and on beaches, with fines for violators, to protect children from passive smoke.
PARIS — From Sunday, anyone caught smoking on beaches or in public parks across France will be breaking the law, under sweeping new rules designed to shield children from second-hand smoke.
The ban also applies within 10 metres of schools, bus shelters, swimming pools, and libraries, with fines ranging from €135 to €700. The measures took effect just a day after their publication in the official government gazette, coming ahead of school holidays to maximize protection for minors.
“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,” said Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin.
She called the move a step toward a “tobacco-free generation” by 2032.
Critics, however, argue the measures don’t go far enough, pointing to continued smoking on café terraces and the exemption of electronic cigarettes from the ban.