THE GUARDIAN: Under new rules anyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park from Sunday will be breaking the law
Anyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park in France will be breaking the law from Sunday under new rules aimed at protecting children from the dangers of passive smoking.
Bus shelters and areas in the immediate vicinity of libraries, swimming pools and schools will also be affected by the ban, which is coming into force one day after its publication in the official government gazette on Saturday.
The rule is being imposed one week before the beginning of the school holidays in France in a bid to immediately protect children from smoke on the beach.
However, to the disappointment of some anti-tobacco activists, the ban does not cover the terraces of bars and restaurants where many French still happily smoke.
They are also unhappy that the ban does not apply to electronic cigarettes. » | Agence France-Presse | Sunday, June 29, 2025
The fun-loving French, the very people from whom we have borrowed the term joie de vivre, have been turned into Puritans! As a fun holiday destination, France must surely be a country to avoid now. When I was a smoker, I used to love a drag on the beach! That was one of the highlights of my day out.
Over the years, people have complained bitterly of being ruled by men, they have complained of patriarchy. Now, because of the influence of women in politics, one would be forgiven for concluding that the system is being turned into a paedocracy!
Once upon a time, children had to fit in to an adults’ world; now, the opposite is the case: adults have to fit in to a children’s world.
France has just lost its allure. – © Mark Alexander
LIBÉRATION : Fumer à la plage, au parc, sous un Abribus ou près des écoles interdit dès ce dimanche : Le décret annoncé par le gouvernement pour étendre l’interdiction, avec l’objectif de protéger les enfants, est effectif à partir d’aujourd’hui. Les terrasses des cafés et restaurants, tout comme le vapotage, ne sont pas concernés. »
