France has extended its anti-smoking regulations to most outdoor public spaces, banning cigarettes on beaches, in parks and gardens, at bus shelters, and within roughly a 10-metre radius of schools, libraries, swimming pools and sports facilities. A decree detailing the measure appeared in the Journal Officiel on 28 June and entered into force nationwide on Sunday, 29 June.
Smokers caught in the newly designated smoke-free zones face a standard fine of €135, rising to as much as €700 for repeated violations. Local officials will be responsible for enforcement. The rules do not apply to café and restaurant terraces, and electronic cigarettes are excluded for now, although the government has signalled tighter controls on vaping products from 2026.
Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said the step is designed to protect minors from second-hand smoke and to help create France’s “first smoke-free generation” by 2032. Tobacco still kills about 75,000 people each year in the country and, despite successive tax increases that have pushed the price of a pack above €12, more than 30 percent of adults continue to smoke regularly.
The outdoor ban is part of the 2023-2027 national tobacco-control programme, which also contemplates further price rises, plainer packaging and new restrictions on nicotine content. Health authorities expect an initial grace period while the public adjusts, but say clearer signage and stepped-up patrols will follow as the summer holiday season begins.
The tobacco control plan is intensifying by reducing the spaces allowed to smokers. Measures that aim, among other things, to protect populations from passive smoking and its consequences. ->