France to ban smoking in public parks, beaches

France will ban smoking in public places, including parks, beaches and bus stops, beginning in July, according to the French health and family minister. 

Catherine Vautrin said in an interview published Thursday with French news outlet Ouest-France that the ban will begin July 1 and will encompass spots “where there are children,” including outside sporting events, schools, gardens and more. 

Vautrin said the “freedom to smoke must end where the freedom of children to breathe fresh air begins.”

Those who violate the ban will face a $153 fine. Patios of cafés and bars are exempt, along with those using electronic cigarettes. 

Around 35 percent of French adults, aged 15 or above, were smokers in 2022, according to the World Health Organization. 

Vautrin said police would enforce the ban. France bars tobacco products and electronic cigarettes from being sold to those younger than 18 years old. 

Several beaches and over 1,500 municipalities around France have already instituted a ban on smoking in public places, according to the BBC.