The French government cracked down on cigarettes in public, announcing a grand outdoor smoking ban aimed at clearing the air for the next generation of Parisians (and everyone else).
According to reports from the BBC and Agence France-Presse, France will ban smoking in various outdoor public areas starting July 1, including beaches, parks, gardens, bus stops, sporting grounds and anywhere near schools.
"Tobacco must go away," Health and Family Secretary Catherine Vautrin said in an interview posted Thursday.
Former ATF official said
A protester lit a cigarette during a demonstration organized by trade unions and youth groups, calling for the abolition of the pension law and increased wages in Toulouse, France on October 1, 2024. (Pat Batard/Hans Lucas via AFP/AFP via Getty Images)
“The freedom of smoking must end up where children can breathe fresh air freely.”
Under the lighting in the newly designated area, the fine for violators can reach up to $153 in the case of the new regulations. Law enforcement will be handled primarily by conventional police, although Vautrin said she expects public "self-regulation".
However, culture has a carving. France’s iconic “Terrasses” is a bustling outdoor cafe seating area that is exempt from the ban.
If they sit in a cafe, smokers can still enjoy cigarettes with espresso and croissants. The BBC confirmed that these are actually state institutions of social spaces that will not be affected.
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On September 13, 2024, you can see the fourth cigarette and tobacco shop in Paris. (Antoine Boureau/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
Currently, e-cigarettes are also excluded from restrictions, but Vautrin told Ouest-France that her office is working to limit future restrictions to the nicotine levels allowed in VAPES.
The move marks a significant expansion of France's existing anti-smoking laws.
Smoking has been banned in restaurants, nightclubs and indoor public places since 2008. Efforts to limit smoking in public places have been growing steadily. More than 1,500 French municipalities have enacted their own outdoor smoking ban, and hundreds of beaches have been smoke-free for years, according to AFP.
A chef rolled up a cigarette during a break outside a restaurant in Paris on April 8, 2025. (Xavier Galian/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the BBC cited data from the French Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, only 23.1% of French adults smoke daily, the lowest ever, down 5 percentage points since 2014.
Nevertheless, tobacco-related diseases remain the leading cause of death. France's National Committee on Smoking Against Smoking says more than 75,000 people die every year due to smoking, accounting for about 13% of all deaths in the country.
Support for the new restrictions seems to be strong. A report by La Ligue Conte Le Cancer, a well-known French cancer association, found that nearly 80% of French citizens prefer smoke-free public areas such as parks, beaches and woodland.
But while many in France welcomed the move, some raised concerns about the balance between public health and personal freedom. Conservatives may see the ban as another example of a top-down over-division of government.
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Be careful when you are on vacation in France this year as it may give you a fine.