France to enforce outdoor smoking ban from July 1

From 1 July 2025, France will implement a new ban prohibiting smoking in outdoor areas where children are typically present.

The ban will apply to beaches, parks, bus stops, entrances to schools, and sports grounds.

The announcement was made on Thursday, 29 May, by Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin, who emphasised the need to shield children from the dangers of tobacco smoke.

“Tobacco must disappear where there are children,” she stated.
“The freedom to smoke ends where children’s right to breathe clean air begins,” Vautrin told the newspaper Ouest-France.

The measure will also prevent students from smoking outside school gates. Offenders may face a fine of up to €135 ($115).

However, the restrictions will not extend to France’s well-known café terraces or to the use of electronic cigarettes.

Smoking is already prohibited in numerous public spaces in France, including workplaces, airports, railway stations, and playgrounds.

Anti-smoking advocates have long urged the government to broaden such regulations.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 35 per cent of the French population smokes, significantly higher than the European average of 25 per cent and the global average of 21 per cent.